


It Just Makes Sense

by PixiePosts



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: A little angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Amnesia, BeauYashSter if you squint, Blood, CW abuse in later chapters, CW booze, Caleb Widogast Deserves Nice Things, Caleb has had lots of therapy, Dubious Consent, F/F, F/M, I know I'm forggeting characters, I suck at titles, I'll add them later - Freeform, Is that TeaHaw I see?, LetCalebWidogastCry2K20, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mostly Fluff, Other, Title Subject to Change, and they were ROOMMATES, caleb widogast levels of self loathing, mild fantasy racism, more tags to be added later, no beta we die like men, somewhat slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:14:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 136,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24525208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixiePosts/pseuds/PixiePosts
Summary: How had this happened? How on Exandira had Caleb Widogast found himself in this situation?  He stared, mouth agape as the lavender tiefling leaned over to grab something from the back of a cupboard… the ties of the pale yellow apron he wore riding up and highlighting the fact that he was wearing nothing but a pair of turquoise silk boxers.  Tail swishing gleefully, Mollymauk looked back over his shoulder and smirked."Enjoying the view darling?"
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett/Yasha, Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast, Past Astrid/Caleb Widogast - Relationship, Past Lucien/Mollymauk Tealeaf
Comments: 401
Kudos: 412





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all!  
> This is my first fic for CR, and my first fic in nearly 10 years. Sorry for any character discrepancies!  
> I need something to take my mind off the world,so please enjoy this MOSTLY fluffy (with some angst because you can't have Caleb Widogast without angst) fic. I'm not sure how long it will end up being, I have most of it plotted out but I tend to run heavy on dialogue soooooooo.
> 
> Okay, enjoy! suggestions always welcome and appreciated!
> 
> \----  
> ps: I use the months/days from the universe  
> Monday: Miresen  
> Tuesday: Grissen  
> Wednesday: Whelsen  
> Thursday: Conthsen  
> Friday: Folsen  
> Saturday: Yulisen  
> Sunday: Da'leysen
> 
> Our story starts on Folsen

Thunsheer 13th, 1301 PC (Post Calamity) 

How had this happened? How on Exandira had Caleb Widogast found himself in this situation? He stared, mouth agape as the lavender tiefling leaned over to grab something from the back of a cupboard… the ties of the pale yellow apron he wore riding up and highlighting the fact that he was wearing nothing but a pair of turquoise silk boxers. Tail swishing gleefully, Mollymauk looked back over his shoulder and smirked. 

"Enjoying the view darling?"

Caleb gulped. 

  
Part One: Caleb

SIX MONTHS AGO: Quen'pillar 10th 1300 PC

Caleb was putting away books. He liked putting away the returned books, it gave him a chance to get away from the desk and stretch his legs. It was also a very good way to find new books to read, once he was off the clock of course. As he finished tucking a very old, very worn History of Exandria tome back into its place on the shelf, he felt his pocket buzz. He sighed, the only people who texted him at work were Veth (to make sure he was alive) and Beau (because she was also at work, and bored). He pulled out the severely outdated flip phone and clicked open the message 

**Beauregard:** hey man, we're still on for tonight right?? The band is killer and Yash says they’re pretty chill too

 **Caleb:** Yes Beauregard, I said I would come with you so I will. Get back to work before Archivist Zeenoth catches you.

 **Beauregard:** whatever, Zeenoth can bite me, it's dead in here neway 🙄

Caleb sighed again. Beauregard was one of his closest friends, but her lack of work ethic could be frustrating….and he was already regretting agreeing to the outing tonight. Not that he didn't love Fletchings, the local bar and occasional concert venue in their neighborhood, he just usually avoided Friday nights. They were much louder, and more crowded, than he preferred. He finished putting away the books on his cart and headed back to the main desk. Beauregard was, as expected, typing away on her phone ("probably to Yasha…" Caleb thought) and only looked up when he got close to the desk. 

Beau was human like Caleb, with tanned skin and dark hair that was shaved in a neat undercut, the long section pulled back in a topknot. She had sharp blue eyes that never missed much, and generally dressed more for comfort than fashion. She was in shape, which made sense since any time that wasn’t spent in the library was spent training with the Cobalt Soul. She took it much more seriously since getting named Expositor at the beginning of the year. 

"Just about time to leave" she began, looking him up and down with a mild frown.

"What." He asked, dreading the answer.

"Don't take this the wrong way but … you ARE going to change before we go, right?" 

Caleb pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. He always felt like he sighed more around Beauregard. 

"What is wrong with this outfit exactly?" He asked, mildly annoyed. 

Beauregard shrugged "look man you just… you just kinda look like a librarian or something. I mean come ON, you're wearing a freakin' sweater vest." 

"If I take off the vest will that suffice?" He asked, rolling his eyes "I really wasn't planning to go all the way home first." 

She eyed him for a moment, then nodded. Caleb resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. 

The rest of the shift slid by without incident, and by 9 they were headed to the bus that would take them off campus to their slightly-less-than-desireable neighborhood. It wasn't particularly nice, but it was cheap, and the landlord didn't bother you as long as your rent was paid on time. Caleb lived in apartment 212, with Veth. Veth was a young halfling woman who had met Caleb in jail, while she had been a goblin. Caleb, once they had gotten out, had helped reverse the spell and given her back her original form. They had been inseparable for almost 4 years. Beau lived in apartment 312, with their mutual friend Jester. Jester was… something. A blue tiefling, with more energy than she had any right too, and a sweet tooth bigger than her. 

Veth was moving out. Caleb wasn’t all that surprised, she had gotten back together with her childhood sweetheart almost as soon as she had her body back. Yeza was sweet, much calmer than Veth, and loved her dearly. Over the last year, ever since she and Caleb had moved to Zadash for Caleb to join the university there, she had been spending more nights and weekends at Yeza’s place. So when she had sat Caleb down the month before and explained that Yeza had asked her to marry him, and to move in… he hadn’t been shocked. Sad, nervous, and worried about keeping the apartment yes, but not surprised. 

Now, Caleb was sitting at the bar, his long (slightly ratty) coat hanging over the back of the chair and a glass of his favourite whiskey in front of him. He had managed to get his favourite seat at the corner of the long bar, far enough away from the dance floor than no one would bother him, but close to the stage. If he was going to see a live band he figured he may as well have a good view. Beau had gone to check in with Yasha, who worked here as a bouncer, and who Beau was absolutely enamoured with. Caleb liked the towering woman well enough, she was quiet and a little bit intimidating at first, but kind overall. Caleb took a sip, thinking about his room-mate situation. He had enough left of his scholarship money to hold him over for a bit along with his shifts at the library… but he would definitely need to get someone to take Veths room sooner rather than later. 

“Evening there Caleb” came a familiar voice from behind the bar. Caleb looked up and smiled slightly. Standing there was the owner of the bar, Gustav, or Gus to the regulars. He was a half-elven man, probably in his 40’s (though it was always hard to tell with anyone of elvish descent), his long hair was tied back and his sleeves rolled up to the elbow.

“ _Guten abend_ Gustav, looks like a good crowd tonight _ja_?” Caleb raised his glass slightly before taking a sip. 

“Should be yeah, the band always brings in a good crowd” he raised an eyebrow at Caleb “we don’t usually see you around here on Fridays though, Beau drag you out?” 

Caleb laughed softly “am I that predictable _mein freund_ ?” He took another sip and sighed “but _ja_ , Beau was concerned that I have not been ah… ‘getting out much lately’ as she puts it” 

Gustav chuckled “was there **ever** a time you got out much?” 

“Ah, _nein_ , not really” Caleb thought for a moment “actually… Gustav-” 

But before he could finish the thought, the main lights dimmed, and the stage lights flared to life. Caleb turned the barstool so he could see the stage more clearly as the band trooped out to loud cheering (“they really are popular” Caleb thought absently). He went to take a sip and nearly choked as the last member of the band strode onto the stage. The tiefling was _lavender_. Plum curls wild around rams horns that were dripping in gold and silver chains and dangling charms. A shining gold sun caught Caleb's eye as the man tossed his head back, absolutely preening for the audience. Caleb's eyes slid down from the sparkling charm to a billowing white shirt, v-neck open to almost his navel and the strings dangling. He felt his cheeks warm as he took in the skin tight multi-coloured pants that lead into knee high leather boots with what had to be a 6 inch heel. 

And then… he began to sing. Caleb couldn’t keep his eyes off the tiefling, he looked like he belonged on stage. He knew exactly when to strut, when to pose, and how to interact with the audience. To Caleb’s horror? Delight? He turned his gaze towards the bar, Caleb’s heart thudded in his chest as bright red eyes caught his…. And _winked_. Gustav was chuckling, not that anyone could hear him, as he repeatedly re-filled the glass in front of the poor ginger. 

Once the band was done, they waved and left the stage yelling thank you’s to the crowd as they did so. The singer blowing kisses as he somehow managed to back off the stage in those insane boots. Beau found her way back over and plonked down in the seat next to Caleb, sweating and ruddy faced. 

“Yo Gus, can I get a beer? I am dyyyyying I fuckin’ swear” Gus slid one over, not bothering to ask which ‘thanks man!” She turned to Caleb, smiling brightly. “SO what did you think? Fuckin’ awesome right? Yash knows all of them, I knew you’d be into it.” 

Caleb blinked slowly for a moment before responding “ahh.. _Ja, ja_ they were ah… very _gut_ ” he tried to nod for emphasis, but it made his head swim. Beau looked at him funny for a second, eyes darting between his rosy cheeks and the glass in front of him before she burst out laughing. 

“Shit dude, you’re **drunk** ” she laughed again as he furrowed his brow “Gus! Gus, how much did you **give** him??” Gus smirked “seven doubles, if you count the one he’s nursing now”

Beau laughed again and Caleb huffed at her. 

“It -hic- it wasn’t my fault. It got very _heiß_ in here ah- _und_ I was ah…” he pondered for a moment, trying to find the word “... _durstig_?” 

Beau rolled her eyes “I so don’t speak Zemnian dude….” she watched Caleb’s face and her eyes went wide “wait…. Wait do you mean **thirsty** ? The band made you **_thirsty_ **??” 

Caleb nodded, looking confused, and Beau laughed even harder, clutching her stomach. Caleb glared, considering leaving her here to her ridiculous laughter. He knew he was missing some stupid play on words, but Common was frustrating enough when he **wasn’t** drunk. He shook his head, it was only 11:04 anyway, it would be a waste to go home so early… especially when there was no one but Frumpkin there waiting for him. He was shaken out of that melancholy thought by Beau speaking again, laughter still evident in her voice.

“Oh man. Oh man do NOT let Molly hear that, he’ll never shut up about it” she choked out between fits of laughter.

“Don’t let Molly hear **what** , darling?” came a lilting voice from behind her, making her jump and just barely keep her beer from toppling. 

“DUDE.” she jerked her head to look up beside her “don’t sneak up on people! My fists are registered fuckin’ weapons man!” 

Caleb followed her eye line, and felt his mouth go dry once again. 

Part Two: Molly

Molly was  **thrilled** , that show had been one of their best yet. The crowd had been even bigger than usual, and super into the show from the look of the packed dance floor. He towelled off slightly in the back room, touching up his eyeliner just a bit before heading back out. Yasha would be waiting, she had mentioned wanting to introduce him to one of Unpleasant One’s friends. Hopefully this one wouldn’t be a complete lesbian, he was in the mood to flirt. He met up with Yasha just outside the back room and smiled brightly at her. 

“Excellent show don’t you think love?”

She smiled back her usual soft smile and nodded “yes, everyone seemed to be having a good time” 

They headed over to the bar, he could already see Beau, she was doubled over laughing at something her companion had said. As they stepped up beside her he heard her say, still laughing 

“Oh man. Oh man do NOT let Molly hear that, he’ll never let it go”

Oh now  **that** was interesting…. Molly felt a smirk slide into place as he leaned down and said slyly “Don’t let Molly hear  **what** , darling?”

It was already worth it to see her jump practically out of her seat, nearly toppling her beer in the process. “ DUDE-” she started, but Molly had caught sight of the person she had been talking to… and well, this was  _ definitely _ much more interesting than whatever she was yelling about. 

The human before him was pale, with long slightly curling auburn hair that was tied in a loose pony at the nape of his neck. He was wearing black jeans, loose fitted, and a black long sleeved shirt that fit  _ much _ better than the jeans. His cheeks were rosy, probably from the whiskey Molly could smell on him, and dusted with freckles. His chin sported a scruffy auburn beard, probably a few days old from what Molly could guess and…. Oh. 

The man looked up at Molly as Beau finally stopped talking and Molly could have sworn his heart stopped for a moment. 

Those eyes. Molly was sure he had never, ever seen eyes so blue in all his life. 

Don’t get him wrong, Molly had seen plenty of gorgeous blue eyes in his time. Pretty pale cornflower blue, bright ocean blue-green…. Those blues that turned grey in the right lighting et cetera, et cetera. But these… these were capital “B”  **Blue** , warm and bright and mesmerizing. The man's lips parted in surprise as they looked at each other, and then he jumped. Beau was talking again. Damn her. 

“Oh fuck right, you two haven’t actually met” she pointed at the human “Molly, this is Caleb, he works at the library with me” she pointed to Molly but he cut her off. He stepped forward, holding out his hand with a flourish and smiling his most sultry smile 

“Mollymauk Tealeaf at your service, Molly to my friends” he winked, Beau groaned and he could swear he  _ heard _ her roll her eyes. 

The man, (“ _ Caleb _ …” Moly thought, testing out), looked shocked for a moment, blinking before taking his hand lightly.

“Ah-  _ ja _ , I am Caleb, Caleb Widogast. Nice to meet you Mr Mollymauk” 

Molly tilted his head, still smiling. “Now that’s an accent I’ve never heard… Where on Exandria are you from dear?” 

“Oh ah.. It is a small village called Blumenthal… Part of the ah-Zemni Fields” he flushed as he spoke (“oh that is  **cute** ” Molly thought). 

“And is everyone from there as gorgeous as you are darling?” 

Molly had to try his very  _ very _ best not to laugh, the poor man's face had gone a deeper shade of red and it had travelled down his neck. (Molly couldn’t help but wonder just how far that blush could go….) 

“Molly quit being a dick, Caleb’s not one of your one-night stands” Molly let go of Caleb's hand and turned to smirk at Beau. 

“Listen Unpleasant One, I was just  _ asking _ .” He rolled his eyes and looked at Yasha, who looked sternly back at him. He sighed.

“Fine fine” he turned back to Caleb “I’m sorry, I’m an awful flirt and just can’t help but tease cute boys. Forgive me?” 

Caleb nodded slowly “ah- _ ja _ , it’s fine?” 

The conversation flowed more easily from then, Molly taking every chance to flirt with the quiet human. The accent was too cute, all the “w’s” turned to soft “v’s” and the slight slur from the whiskey just made it all the more obvious. Molly found himself poking at the man just a bit more, trying to hear him speak. At one point, somewhere around 1am (“1:13” said Caleb, when Beau mentioned the time) Beau sat up suddenly. 

“Oh! Caleb, did you ask Gus about the notice board?” 

Caleb's eyes widened slightly “oh, no I was distracted by the show and forgot….” he trailed off, looking across the bar where Gus was serving a few other patrons. Beau waved him over

“Gus! Hey Gus! Caleb needs to ask a question!!” Caleb rolled his eyes, sighing. 

“You sigh a  **lot** ” Molly observed as Gus finished his conversation with the other patrons and started over to them. 

“ _ Ja _ , spend enough time with Beauregard and you will too” Caleb deadpanned. Molly burst out laughing as Beau cussed Caleb out. Gus smiled at them all, clearly bemused. 

“What’s up Caleb? Something I can help with?” Caleb turned away from Mollys laughter to look at Gus. 

“Oh, yes.. I was wondering if I could put something on your notice board?” He pointed to the corkboard by the end of the bar. 

Gus nodded “As long as it’s nothing illegal, yeah that’s no problem…” Caleb nodded solemnly and pulled a book out of his coat, sliding a piece of paper out of that before putting the book carefully back where it came from. Gus looked at it curiously “mind if I ask what it is? Just curious is all”

Caleb nodded and held it up “Veth is moving in with her fiance, so I need a new room mate before the landlord kicks me out” Beau rolled her eyes. 

“Jess told you we can help if you’re in a pinch man, her mom always sends over like… way too much money” Caleb glared for a moment, then sighed.

“ _ Ja _ I know you would, but I would rather not take ah... _ das almosen _ …. Hand outs” 

Gus looked between Caleb and Beau for a moment before his eyes landed on Molly and he raised an eyebrow. It was Molly’s turn to sigh

“Gus…. Don-” but Gus cut him off “It sounds like a discussion worth having to me” 

Beau and Caleb both looked over at them.

“You lookin’ for a place Molly?” her voice was disbelieving “I thought you lived above the bar” 

Molly nodded, but before he could respond Gus cut in. “Yeah, he lives above the bar, in an attic,  **illegally** . Despite the fact that he makes enough to get an  **actual** place, you know, like a  **adult** ” 

“Alright  **listen Dad-** ” Molly started

Beau smirked, clearly about to say something, but Caleb interrupted, his voice soft but unmistakable.

“Well… would you like to move in with me?” 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb realizes his mistake and does absolutely nothing to correct it. Molly is entertained, and goes to Fantasy IKEA. Caduceus and Fjord exist now!  
> I continue to butcher the Zemnian/German language! Gratuitous emoji use!  
> Notes at the end this time!

Part One: Caleb 

  


Oh. Oh _scheisse_. 

Had he really just said that? He had. He knew he had; his stupid perfect memory **knew** he had... But… _Scheisse_. 

Everyone looked about as stunned as he felt, and he knew his face must be beet red. Beauregard looked like she was about to fall off her stool, Gustav looked like he was trying not to laugh. Yasha, well… she just looked like her usual calm self, though he thought maybe her eyes were a little wider. But Molly…. Oh _scheiße_ . His face had gone from wide eyed shock, lips parted slightly, to sudden, undeniable _joy_. His smile was wide, bright, showing the small pointed fangs that tieflings had. He jumped off the stool to stand in front of Caleb, grabbing his hands and taking a deep breath. 

“Oh Mr Caleb! Do you mean it?” his tail was flicking behind him, curling and uncurling happily as Caleb noticed the smile had morphed into a clear smirk. “You would take in a _poor_ clearly _unloved_ (he shot a glare at Gustave here) little stray like me~?” 

Caleb dropped his eyes to where their hands were, unable to handle the eye contact. 

“Ah- _ja, ja_ I suppose so?” He paused, it did make sense really, if he didn’t think about it too hard “It makes sense _ja_? You need a room; I need someone to take the room…. _Und_ you are a friend of Beau _und_ Yasha, so….” He looked helplessly at Beau for confirmation. Or for a solid argument against this…. Maybe?   


But Beau looked thoughtful, tapping the lip of her beer bottle against her chin. 

“I mean… Veth will probably try to murder me for saying this, but it **does** sort of like... make sense” She caught his eye and shrugged “worse comes to worst, you can always kick him back out if he causes too much trouble” 

“Hey!-” Molly started to protest but Gustav cut him off “okay, perfect, when will he be out of my bar?” He smirked.   


The others laughed over Molly’s offended noises but Caleb was looking right at Gustav, brow furrowed in drunken concentration. 

“Veth will be moved out completely by next Folsen, so any time after that would be fine, I think” 

“Excellent!” Gustav turned a smirk to Mollymauk “hear that ‘ _little stray’_ ? One more week and you’ll have a home, so you can stop haunting my _bar”_

Clearly fighting a smile, Mollymauk growled at the older man. 

The rest of the night was a blur of Mollymauk and Beau arguing, Caleb trying not to fall asleep and Yasha watching it all calmly, interjecting a quiet word now and then. When Gustav said it was time to close up; Beau and Caleb stumbled the three blocks from the bar to the apartment. Parting ways as Caleb got off on the second floor and stumbled his way down the hall. He fumbled with his key briefly, dropped his coat on the hook near the door and kicked off his beat-up boots. Frumpkin came wandering over, meowing for attention. He picked up the warm tabby, cradling him like a baby until he started to squirm. He ought to go to bed, he knew, but he felt like his blood was buzzing, so instead he grabbed his laptop and a mug full of water and sat himself on the corner of the couch. He pulled up the paper he had been working on before his shift at the library, but was having trouble focusing. Instead he found himself opening a search window, he paused before typing but decided that if he regretted it later, he would just blame it on the whiskey. 

“Mollymauk Tealeaf” he mumbled as he typed, (“what an odd name… an odd name for an odd person I suppose” he thought). The search did not bring up much, most of it was promotional information about the band, lists of show dates, contact information for booking shows and the like. The images tab was much more interesting, photos mainly taken at shows of Mollymauk on stage. He really did look like he belonged there, the lights dancing off his charms and his eyes bright. By the time Caleb's head felt clear enough to sleep, it was 3:26am. He pulled off his jeans and comfortable shirt, replacing them with comfortable cotton pj pants, forgoing the shirt since no one was home anyway. Frumpkin twined around his ankles as he walked to the bed, jumping up ahead of him to settle up near his pillow. He tugged the hair band out of his hair as he lay down, letting the cats purring drown out his mind as he drifted to sleep, the last images in his mind were those of pale lavender skin...and bright red eyes. 

  
~~~~~   


Caleb woke the next morning with a start as his bedroom door banged open. 

“CALEB?! CALEB ARE YOU OKAY??” Veths shrill yell got louder as she (presumably) raced toward the bed. He felt the mattress sink as he sat up, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands. 

“ _Ja-ja..._ Veth I am fine. _Was ist falsch?_ Why are you yelling?” His voice was rough with sleep, and groggy with too long of a night before. “It is only...8:24am, why are you home?” 

She huffed out a noise of annoyance, crossing her arms and narrowing her usually warm brown eyes at him. “ **Jester** called me this morning, SHE said that Beau said you invited _Mollymauk_ _Tealeaf_ to be your new roommate?? After you **just** met him? Do you know what he IS??”   
  


Caleb was taken aback, it wasn’t like Veth to have a problem with non-human races…. Jester was also a tiefling and one of her very best friends. As he opened his mouth to say this however, Veth cut him off 

“A MUSICIAN Caleb” (“oh, that makes more sense” he thought) “a MUSICIAN who SINGS in a BAND!! He has TATTOOS, and all those PIERCINGS.” Caleb was trying not to laugh now, watching her work herself up. “What if he’s dangerous? What if he brings home dangerous people?? WHAT IF HE TRIES TO-TO LEAD YOU INTO DEBAUCHERY?!” 

Now Caleb **did** laugh, one hand over his eyes as his shoulders shook from it. Veth made some very annoyed noises, her arms flailing. “This isn’t FUNNY Caleb!”   


“I-i am sorry _liebling_ , I do not mean to laugh at you” he held up a hand, still smiling at her fondly. “I know you are worried for me, but I promise I can handle myself. I am not exactly the least dangerous person out there _ja_?” She huffed, clearly still annoyed, but her expression softened at his smile. 

“Well… okay. If you think you can handle him, I’ll trust you” she paused, raising a hand to point directly into his face “but if he lays one finger on my boy, I’ll gut him.” 

“I would expect nothing less,” Caleb said, pulling her into a warm hug. 

After bidding Veth goodbye and a nice shower to finally get the smell of stale whiskey and general “bar stink” off of himself, Caleb returned to the kitchen. He did not have work today, so he settled on a pair of dark grey joggers and a comfortable black shirt that said “I Would Prefer Not To.” in white block letters. Beau had gotten it for him last Winterscrest, claiming it was perfect for his “super antisocial personality”. He actually rather liked it, not that he would say as much to her. He was just taking a bite of his toast, having refilled Frumpkins food and water while he waited for it, when he heard his phone beep from its spot on the counter. He walked over, chewing, and flipped it open. 

  
*New Message!* 

**Beauregard** : DUDE, u up yet? We’re going to Caddy’s for breakfast, he says he’s got some new egg thing. 

**Beauregard** : eggs and mushrooms??? I dunno, it’ll probably b weird and delish 

* _ding!*_ _*_ New Message!* He sighed 

**Jester** : Cayleeeeeeeb!!! We’re coming to get youuuuuuu~~~~~~😁💓💓💓😆 

  
He closed his phone, not bothering to respond and instead grabbing a pair of clean socks, hearing the rapid knocking on his door that could only mean Jester was here. He pulled on the socks, grabbed his phone from the charger and opened the door, pulling on his coat as he did so. 

“ _Guten_ _morgen_ Jester, Beauregard.”   


Beau nodded and Jester bounced up to give him a nearly bone-crushing hug 

“Mooooorning Cay-leb!” she sang happily “isn’t it just the BEST day! I can’t wait to get to Caduceus’s place! Fjord’s working today! It’ll be SO MUCH FUN!” As she talked, she grabbed his arm, linking hers with his and her other one with Beau. 

Jester chattered away the whole way to Caduceus’s cafe (The Whispering Willow), Caleb and Beau chiming in when needed but otherwise just enjoying the surprisingly nice weather. The cafe was only a few blocks away, right on the edge of their neighborhood and the slightly nicer one closer to campus. Caleb liked it here, the cafe was warm, decorated in muted browns and pastel greens, yellows and blues. There were always potted plants in the windows and on pretty much any available surface, and all of the tables and chairs were mismatched wooden pieces. It felt homey, comfortable. There was even a small shelf of books that Caduceus had started keeping at Caleb's suggestion, mostly gardening and cookbooks, but occasionally books that he or their friends suggested would find their way onto the shelf. 

Beau went to grab a table by the window as Jester and Caleb headed over to the counter. A 7-foot-tall, pale firbolg with light grey fur and a shock of pink hair cut into a long mohawk stood at the counter. He was dressed in a loose flowing beige tunic and soft looking tan harem pants, covered partially with a light green apron. He appeared to be talking to the potted violets next to the register, but he looked up and smiled as they walked over and waved. 

“Well, this is nice, good morning you two” he said in his slow, calm voice. 

“Moooooorning!” 

“ _Guten morgen_ Mr Clay” Caleb smiled “I hope you have had a good week so far?” 

Caduceus nodded, still smiling warmly and already pulling out their favourite orders. 

“Beau mentioned you might all stop by, Mr Fjord is in the back whipping up today's breakfast special for you” he nodded to the door that led to the small back kitchen as he spoke. 

Jester paid, glaring at Caleb when he tried to pay for his own meal. He sighed and settled for dropping some coins into the tip jar instead as they headed back to the table with their drinks. Jester had some kind of iced sweet tea; it was pink and had berries floating in it. It looked like it would rot your teeth if you so much as got too close. Beau had her usual, green tea with honey and ginseng (“it wakes you up better than coffee I **swear** ” she had told Caleb the first time). Caleb had his usual as well, coffee with 3 sugar and nothing else. Beau told him it was boring, and with so many interesting options he was doing himself a disservice. He liked it though… so. 

He stared out the window, thinking about the plans for today. He had to work tomorrow, but had gotten today off to do his errands. Then later, Jester wanted everyone to come over for drinks and cheesy movies. It was the kind of “party” that Caleb never minded, since it was usually just his little group of friends. 

“-leb? Exandria to Caleb, you in there man?” He started, he had been staring out the window, lost in thought. 

“Oh, _ja_ , yes sorry Beauregard” she rolled her eyes “what were you saying?” 

“Did Veth lose her mind on you this morning? I thought I heard her through the floor” 

Caleb sighed and rolled his eyes, silently cursing the paper thing walls and apparently ceiling of his apartment “she did not ‘lose her mind’, she was merely concerned over my new roommate situation…. Concern caused by **you** I might add” he narrowed his eyes at her. 

  
“H-hey! It wasn’t my fault, Jester’s the one who told her about the music stuff! I just said he worked at the bar with Yash!” she crossed her arms, glaring at him. Jester smacked Beaus' arm, making the other woman jump. 

“I didn’t **knooooow** she would like freak out or whatever!! Molly is like, syuuper cool, I just wanted her to know you were gonna have a super cool, super hot new roommate!” Caleb choked on a sip of coffee, but decided against commenting. 

“Mornin’ y’all” came a deep voice, they all looked up to see Fjord. A tall (though nowhere near Caduceus) half-orc with green skin and a large scar on his face. He smiled as he laid the plates on his tray on the table “How’s the day treatin’ you so far?” 

Jester batted her lashes at him, leaning in with a big smile “oh Fjooooord (she pronounced it ‘fuh-yooooord’ just to tease him) did you hear?” He smiled indulgently at her, then looked over at Caleb, concern in his eyes. 

“Veth got engaged right? How’re you handlin’ her moving in with Yeza?” 

“Oh, I--” but Jester cut him off. 

“Noooo Fjord not **that** news!! The news about Cayylebs new roommate!!” Fjord cocked an eyebrow at her, shaking his head . Beau mumbled something under her breath about “not everyone is a total gossip ”, but Jester ignored her . She clasped her hands in front of her chest and practically vibrated with excitement “MOLLY, you know, from that cool band at Fletching's ? Caleb asked HIM to move in and take Veths room! Can you **believe** it?” 

Fjord looked back at him; eyebrows raised and eyes wide in obvious shock. 

Caleb sighed; it was going to be a long week. 

Part Two: Molly 

*THUD* 

Molly woke with a start as he, once again, rolled off the mattress he used as a bed and landed smacking his horn (and backside) against the ground. He sat up, rubbing his back and groaning. 

“I really need to get an actual bed....” he grumbled to no one in particular. He sighed, rubbing his eyes and looking over at the alarm clock sitting on a crate by the wall. ‘10:34am’ the bright green numbers read. 

“UGH” 

“You okay there Molly?” came Yasha’s soft voice from the door, he looked up, pouting at her. 

“I need a real _bed_ Yash, I need WINDOWS” he threw his hands up dramatically, laying back on the ground and throwing one arm over his eyes. He squinted from under his arm to see her reaction, she was smiling softly at him, her arms crossed over her chest. 

“And you’ll have them Molly, one week and you’ll have a room with a window, in an apartment with a balcony...” she paused, thinking “and if you want, we can go furniture shopping, get you a real bed?” 

Molly perked up at the word “shopping”, sitting back up with a bright smile “Oh yes!! Let's go shopping! I have more than enough saved up” he smirked conspiratorially “the only good thing about this place is that it was free.” Yasha rolled her eyes, a good-natured smile still on her face. 

“Why don’t you text Caleb? Make sure there’s nothing you need to set up in order to have things delivered?” 

His tail swished happily at that “good idea! A perfect excuse... Uhhh _reason_ to text Mr Caleb” Yasha sighed and headed to the door. 

“Take a shower and get dressed, I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready.” she paused at the door “oh, don’t forget, Beau invited us to her place for movie night” 

“mhmmmm okay, sure thing Yash!” He said, clearly not listening as he dug around for his phone. He heard her chuckle as she walked back down towards the bar. 

**Molly** : Good moooorning Mr Caleb, sleep well?😉 

He waited a moment, oddly nervous until his screen lit up and his tail waved giddily behind him. 

**Mr** **Caleb** : Good Morning Mr Mollymauk, I slept fine thank you, despite the whiskey. Is there something I can help you with? 

“So _polite_.... who uses proper grammar when texting?” Molly rolled his eyes 

**Molly** : actually ya, I was gonna have some stuff delivered when I move in, Yash said I might have 2 set something up w u or the landlord? 

The response was quicker this time 

**Mr** **Caleb** : Oh, that was very thoughtful of her. As long as you do not need to put the elevators on hold you should be fine. 

**Mr** **Caleb** : Just be certain to give them the buzzer number when you set up the delivery, that way they will be able to let you know when they are here. Ours is 212. 

Molly smiled down at the screen 

**Molly** : thank u sooo~ much Mr Caleb, c u then!😘 

Molly put his phone down, still smiling as he flounced over to his wardrobe, it was the only real furniture in here, and even it was practically falling apart. He dug through his clothes, trying to decide what the best option for today was... comfort would be good if they were going to be walking around. He would wear the shorter boots, the cute ankle ones with the silver buckles, they were only about a 2.5 inch heel. 

“Hmm....” 

He ended up deciding on a pair of artistically ripped skinny jeans that fit _just_ so, with a wide belt that had a large silver buckle in the shape of a ram's head, and a loose grey tank top with wide armholes and a v-neck. He took his shower, dressed and put on his horn charms. No chains today, those were just for shows. He was just finishing his eyeliner when he realized his phone was flashing at him. He tapped the screen awake ‘11:45’ the screen said, below the time was a *New Message!* alert marked ‘11:06’ 

Huh, that was odd, he didn’t usually miss his ringtone.   


**Mr** **Caleb** : Will you not be at Beauregard's tonight? She mentioned that yourself and Yasha were coming 

Oh.

Oh, they were _definitely_ going to movie night. 

Molly was practically skipping as they made their way through the store, he usually would have gone second hand for furniture, but Yasha had pointed out that he might as well get something new. This place specialized in ‘do it yourself’ furniture, the boxes came with all the parts and all you had to do was put them together, so the prices were much cheaper than a normal furniture shop. All the names were in a weird language that Yasha said was Undercommon, they had a blast trying to figure out how in the hells you were supposed to say any of them. Molly was able to find everything he needed, including a big queen sized four poster bed with sliding drawers built in underneath. He also got a matching vanity and standing wardrobe, and a little side table. Yasha stopped him from going completely overboard with the silly décor stuff they found scattered through the store, but relented on the strings of fairy lights, a full-length mirror (“how _else_ will I know if my outfits are perfect!?”) and two soft fluffy rugs (one purple, one black). When they got to the checkout Molly felt a little thrill as he gave the apartments address, and the buzzer number. 

“Well Yash,” he said as they walked back to the van “I officially feel like a _real_ grown up now!” He folded his arms behind his head and sighed “now, let's go buy booze to take to cheesy movie night” 

Yasha laughed and unlocked the van, pulling out towards the nearest liquor store. Tonight, she thought, was going to be fun. As they drove, Molly felt his phone buzz in his pocket (“oh! That’s why I missed the message...” he realized as he flipped it from ‘vibrate’ to ‘sound’). 

**Jessie** **💙** : Molllyyyyyyyyy~ Ur coming 2night riiight? **😗**

**Molly:** of COURSE we r darling! Just getin’ some draaaanks 🍾🍷🍸🍺 

**Molly:** need us 2 pick ne thing up 4 u? 

**Jessie** **💙** : uuuummmmm I don’t think so, me Beau and Caleb r heading 2 the store now ne way! thx thoooo 🤗💜💜 

**Jessie** **💙** : c u at 5ish! We're gonna order 🍕🍕 

Molly smiled at his phone; he had only met Jester about two months ago when Beau brought her along to the bar. She was such a cheerful person, and having another tiefling around was pretty damn nice. They had developed a habit of gossiping in infernal when the others were around. He checked his phone again: 3:05pm, just a few more hours. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: movie night! Molly meets The Nein, and flirts as always. I continue to butcher the Zemnian/German lanuage! 
> 
> References for Molly's shopping and his shirt:  
> Bed: https://bit.ly/2zTx2xY  
> Vanity: https://bit.ly/2MpTCAK  
> Mollys top: https://bit.ly/2zSxInj  
> Breakfast!: https://bit.ly/2z6ViMC


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Movie Night! Popcorn Fights! Platonic Cuddling! Panic Attacks! Yay!
> 
> This chapter is just a bit of a filler, the next one has a bit of a time jump so that we can get into the actual Room-mate shenanigans.
> 
> ::edit::  
> Gonna be honest, I'm going to be adding some real-world things to this fic (mainly bands and TV shows) because I'm not creative enough to make up my own! So prepare for some melding of worlds!

Part One: Caleb

Caleb smiled to himself as he finished putting away his groceries, looking up as  Frumpkin meowed at him. He shut the fridge and turned to the furry creature reaching out to scratch under his chin

“ _ ja _ I know  _ katze _ , I have left you alone two nights in a row. I am sorry, but Fjord will be there tonight and you know how itchy you make him”  Frumpkins tail flicked in annoyance and his eyes looked reproachful. “I  also know that as a familiar you do not shed, but try telling Fjord that” 

Frumpkin “ mrrow -ed” in annoyance and hopped off the counter, wandering away into  Caleb's dark room. Caleb sighed and shook his head, moving to re-fill the ‘poor’  cats' dishes. With everything put away, Caleb checked the screen on his phone, the backlit numbers showed ‘4:23pm’ and he nodded. He would be a bit early, but that was never a problem for movie nights. He pulled on his boots, picked up his bookbag, locked the door (double checking of course) and headed to the elevator. The best part of living only one floor away from one of his best friends, was how easy it was to get there and then get back home again later. 

Caleb really was not sure how he had gotten to this point, just over a year ago he had been living off of Veth’s stealing, they had only just gotten off the streets... She had insisted on paying to let him take an entrance exam for the university, most days he could hardly get out of bed, but he had done it, only for her. His results had been exemplary, earning him a full scholarship that included enough money to help keep them afloat. They had found the apartment a few weeks after Veth got her security job, and then within a few weeks of starting school he had gotten the job at the library. He was still having a hard time, throwing himself into school and work in order to force himself out of bed. He talked to no one, he went to class, went to work, went home and slept. The nightmares were worse back then, still coming almost every night. He would wake, shaking and screaming, images of fire behind his eyelids and the smell of burning flesh still in his nose.

Then he met Beau, she was loud and brash and crass... and kind. She had seen the dark circles around his eyes, watched the way he seemed to live on nothing but coffee and she had stuck around. She had nagged him until he gave in and started going to the  school's counselor, twice a week at first, now he was down to once a month. She had introduced him to Jester, and between them they had dragged him and Veth out to Caduceus’s place, and the bar, and just out for walks in the sun (and the snow, and rain...). Together with Veth they had pulled him out of that state of constant drowning. He smiled again, breaking from his thoughts as he stopped in front of his friend's door. There was a drawing of Jester from the shoulders up, smiling with little hearts and stars around her face. Next to it, a drawing of Beau looking grouchy with stars and swirls around her, clearly Jester had been busy lately. 

He knocked once, and waited. 

“COME IN!!” came Jesters voice from behind the door, he smiled again and stepped into the room. 

Jester flew at him, throwing her arms around his chest and yelling “ Hiiiii Cayleeeeb! Welcome back!” 

He huffed out a laugh and patted the top of her head, between the horns. 

“Hallo Jester, it has only been a few hours since we were shopping” he couldn’t keep the laugh out of his voice, this girl was something else. 

Jester let him go and smiled up at him “oh you won’t BE- lieve which movie we got for  toniiiight !” she skipped over to the living room and grabbed two DVD’s off the coffee table. She held them up brightly as Caleb looked down,  focused on  untying the laces of his boots.

“First, we have that new scary one about the house that tries to eat you!” (“ oh Fjord will just love that...” Caleb thought, smirking) “AND second .... TUSK LOVE TWO!!!” she was bouncing on the balls of her feet with joy. Caleb sighed, oh joy, Tusk Love. 

“Jes I told you, no one is going to want to watch your weird soft-porn movie” came Beaus voice as she stepped out of her room “ ’Sup Cay” she added, raising a beer bottle in his direction. He raised a hand back, taking his boots off and put his bag down by the kitchen island. 

Jester started yelling at Beau about how it  _ isn’t _ soft porn it’s  **_ ROMANCE _ ** , Caleb decided not to pitch in, either way. Instead he took the few steps into the kitchen and started pulling out the mish-mash of bowls-large-enough-for-snacks, and dumping the bags of snacks they had picked up earlier into them. In anyone else’s home he would never had dared, but over the last year he had become far more comfortable here than pretty much anywhere else. He wandered around, laying the snacks out on the island and the coffee table and pulling out the pamphlet for the groups  favourite pizza place. There were three loud raps on the door, (“Fjord” Caleb thought, smiling) before Jester took a break from the argument to yell 

“COME IN!” 

The door swung open, revealing not just Fjord but also Caduceus (who had to duck to get through the door, but he was probably used to that). 

“Evenin’ y’all”

“Hello everyone, nice to see you” 

Caleb nodded to the boys as they came in, “good to see you both”

After grabbing a beer from the fridge and calling in the pizza order (1 vegetarian, 1  Hawaiian , 1 meat lovers), Caleb seated himself in his  favourite spot, curled up against the armrest of the very old, very soft loveseat. Beau was sitting in one of the armchairs, her shoulders rested against one armrest and her legs up over the other, arm thrown up against the backrest. Jester was snuggled up in a pile of cushions on the floor between the couch and Beaus seat, and Fjord and Caduceus each took spots on the couch. Beau had been trying to convince both Jester and Fjord that the scary movie was the better option when there was a rhythmic knocking at the door. Jester yelled at them to come in again. 

“ Hellllloooo !” Sang Molly as he sauntered into the room, followed by  Yasha , who waved and called “hi” softly, shutting the door behind them. 

“’Sup Molls, hi Yash”   
“Moooolllyyyy!!! Yasha!!!”

“Hey!”

“Well hi there, nice to meet you”

“Hallo...” 

Molly's eyes snapped to Caleb almost instantly, he smiled, turned to  Yasha and said to her “Love, could you grab me a beer if you’re getting one?” She rolled her eyes but headed to the kitchen. Beau jumped up to “help” and headed over as well.

Molly walked over to the loveseat where Caleb was sitting, his tail swishing behind him. He smiled sweetly at Caleb and asked “this seat taken darling?”

Caleb shook his head, taking another swig from his beer, only to realize it was empty. Molly’s smile slid into a smirk and he called out to Beau

“Yo! Unpleasant One!”

“What asshole?”

“Bring an extra beer with you when you come back!”

“Get it yourself!” 

Molly rolled his eyes dramatically at Caleb “some host SHE is, honestly” 

Caleb laughed, and was genuinely surprised when Beau walked out holding 3 beers. He half expected her to throw one at Molly, but instead they both just got one shoved into their hands before she went back to draping herself awkwardly over the armchair.  Yasha walked out after her, grabbing a bowl of chips and settling herself on the mountain of cushions with Jester, closest to Beaus chair. 

Caleb was content to sip his drink and let the conversation wash over him. He was just happy to be here, with his friends, safe and comfortable. The only immediate stress was school-work, no major projects yet, midterms months away. Even though Veth not being here was hard, and he missed her, knowing that he was not going to lose his apartment was a comfort. He  was snapped out of his thoughts as he realized they were all looking at him.

“ah... _was?”_ he asked, embarrassed to be caught spacing out again.   
  
“We’re voting on which movie to watch Mr. Space Cadet” Beau filled him in “ **please** vote for the horror film, if I have to watch soft-core porn with you idiots **again** I will punch someone.”   
Caleb chuckled 

“Sorry Beau, I really do not mind either way, whichever the group  decides is fine with me” She rolled her eyes at him.

“Some brother you are man!” 

By the time they had settled on a movie (Tusk Love Two, Jester was very hard to deny) the pizza had arrived. Beau and  Yasha brought the boxes in, setting them up on the coffee table while Jester moved the snack bowls to the floor instead. They all settled in, drinks refreshed, and Jester turned off the living room lights. 

The movie was pretty much what he expected, lots of  impassioned speeches and un-necessary bodice ripping.

“Seems like a waste of a perfectly good dress if you ask me....” Caleb jumped as Molly whispered in his ear, breath ghosting across his cheek. He flushed slightly, but nodded.

“those look expensive too, would it be so difficult to untie it first?” 

“exactly! It’s  _ one _ string, a single bow” Molly smirked

“And is that not the point of it? I always assumed the reason for wearing something like a corset was so your lover had something pretty to unwrap...” Caleb heard Molly choke on his beer and he blushed, realizing far too late what he had just said. 

“What the hell are you two laughing at?” came Beaus voice in the dark, somewhere to their left

“ _ Quiiieeetttt _ guys! This  is IMPORTANT ” huffed Jester at the same time.

Caleb risked a glance at Molly, in the dark he could just barely make out the smirk on Molly’s face as he called out to the group “sorry all, I’m just learning that  Mr. Caleb over here isn’t as sweet and innocent as I thought!” 

Beau laughed at that, Jester shushed them again, throwing popcorn at all three of them. After a brief popcorn fight, ended by Jester dumping the remainder of the bowl into Beaus lap, they settled back into the movie. Caleb kept his eyes  ** firmly ** on the screen. 

Part two: Molly

Molly was excited, it had been ages since he had had a good  old-fashioned movie night. Ever since  Yasha had moved out of the  bar's attic really. These days he only saw his friends at the bar, or if they went out for coffee or to shop. Which is why when Jester had texted him about cheesy movies and beer, he had jumped on it. 

Now, sitting on the loveseat with Caleb, watching as Jester pelts Beau with popcorn and Beau attempts to catch as many as she can before they hit her, he couldn’t be  happier that he was there. He laughed with the others as Jester, fed up and wanting to watch her shitty rom-com ( Molly's favourite kind of rom-com, for the record) dumped the remaining popcorn directly onto Beaus lap. He looked around at the group, he knew Beau, Jester and Yasha best, with Fjord a close second thanks to the many evenings that Jes had dragged him out with them. Caduceus was a new person to him, though he seemed nice enough (“that dude either smokes or sells weed, no question....” he had thought when they were introduced). Caleb of course he had only met  yesterday... Was it really only yesterday? Molly knew he would have plenty of time to get to know the wizard, once  Folsen finally rolled around and they were sharing the apartment. 

Once the movie ended, leaving Jester in dreamy tears with Fjord and  Yasha trying to comfort her, Beau turned up the lights. 

“ So, do we want to watch the other movie now?” Beau asked as she grabbed a slice of the now cold pizza. 

Fjord looked immediately  nervous; he didn’t do well with horror. Jester was nodding emphatically, already taking the Tusk Love Two DVD out to put away.  Yasha shrugged non committally , she was up for whatever, and scary movies never scared her. Molly hopped up and grabbed the other case, the image was of a  stereotypical haunted house in the middle of the woods, fire flickering in the windows as a group of what looked like teenagers stood  silhouetted in front of it. 

He held it out to Caleb with a smile “What do you say dear? Shall we help over-rule poor Fjord?” 

He felt his smile falter as  Caleb's eyes landed on the image, his shoulders going stiff. Molly tilted his head, watching Caleb’s eyes glaze over as his breathing seemed to hitch.

“Cay-” he started, setting the DVD down and moving towards Caleb, but before he could get too close Beau was kneeling on the floor in between them. She put her hands over Calebs where they were  clenched in his lap and started talking far more softly than Molly had ever heard her. 

“Hey, hey man it’s Beau.  You’re good man, breathe for me okay? Remember what the doc said” Her voice faded slightly as she put one hand to her chest, and then moved one of  Calebs to his own, miming deep breaths. 

Molly looked to Jester and  Yasha helplessly,  Yasha looked serious and Jester looked worried. 

“What-?” Jester shook her head, pointing to Beau. He looked over, Beau was still talking to Caleb, his breathing had slowed now though. He still looked pale and spaced out, but he was making at least some eye contact with Beau now. She leaned in and seemed to ask him a question, to which he nodded slowly. She squeezed his hand and stood up, pulling him slowly with her. 

“I’ll be right back, don’t start the movie without me!” She called, calm as ever as she grabbed a few slices of the Hawaiin pizza in a napkin and lead Caleb to the door. They were all silent as she grabbed his bag and boots for him, keeping his hand in hers, and led him out the door. Molly turned to Jester again,  completely confused.

“What in the hells just happened Jessie?”

Jester looked heartbroken, hands in her lap and eyes wide. 

“oh Molly, it’s all my fault...” she looked down, teary eyed, Fjord walked over and perched on the arm of the chair, his arm around her. “I didn’t even  ** think ** you know? The movie looked fun but I should have thought about the case.” Fjord shushed her kindly

“It’s not your fault, you couldn’t have known he’d look at it... or how he would react, sometimes he's okay with still images like that”

Jester nodded, but she still looked worried. 

Molly looked down at the case again, it looked like 600 other horror movie cases he’d seen in the last few years.

“What’s the big deal?” he asked, completely lost. 

It was Caduceus who answered, in his slow comforting voice

“ Mr. Caleb doesn’t generally do well with ah... fire.  Specifically, house fires.” Caduceus sighed quietly “he tends to get a little um... spooked”

“Panic attacks” Fjord clarified when Molly  still looked confused. 

“Oh...” Molly bit his lip, he knew all about those, he wouldn’t wish them on his worst enemy (“Well ...  “ he thought “maybe his  _ worst _ enemy, but no one else”). He walked over to  Yasha , who opened her arms automatically, and curled up on the pile of cushions with her. 

Beau was gone for about 45 minutes, when she came  in, she looked tired, grabbing a fresh beer and curling up in the big armchair with Jester. 

“He’s sleeping” she said, in answer to the silent questions “and I’m working with him tomorrow so I can go check on him in the morning” they all nodded. Fjord got up and, instead of the horror movie, turned on a baking competition show. No one commented on the change in programming. 

Slowly they all relaxed, between the show, the food and the drinks, things went almost completely back to normal. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to add this to the last chapter, this is the reference for Calebs shirt! I made it long sleeved in the story though, Caleb isn’t at the point where t-shirts are allowed just yet. https://twitter.com/kimchidraws/status/971897766195511296?s=20 
> 
> I've been updating pretty quickly, but as we get farther into the story I do want to aim for longer chapters, so the uploads may be a bit slower!  
> Also, it's been a long while since I was on the outside of a panic attack, so I apologize if the description is a bit off


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soft Molly! Therapy Caleb! Essek is here! Frumpkin is Best Cat!

Part One: Caleb

The rest of the week was a slow blur. His panic attack at the party had set off nightmares that lasted the full week, meaning he was back to his old sleep schedule... if you could call it that. He generally stayed up working or just reading until midnight-1am, then would be woken by the nightmares around 3-4am... and that was it. Between that, classes, and work, he was wiped by the time  Folsen rolled around.

The others had, as always, been wonderful and kind. Jester had been texting him every day with funny pictures of cats and yummy pastries she found. Fjord had made time for lunch, trying to make sure that Caleb at least ate that. Beau had even taken an extra shift at the library so she could keep tabs on him. Veth of course, had been informed by Jester of what had happened and had come home early to look out for him.  She made breakfasts and dinners and made sure that he ate, and tried to make him sleep. Part of him felt like he should be annoyed by them hovering, but  honestly, he just felt loved. He truly did not know how he had ever come to deserve these  people; he still often did not believe he  _ did _ deserve them. 

However, as he had learned, even difficult weeks come to an end, so when he was actually woken by his alarm going off on  Folsen morning, he was relieved. He had History of  Exandira this morning (10-1), then he had an hour gap for lunch (1-2), then his appointment with Dr Pike (2-3:30), before his shift at the library with Beau (3:45-9). Veth had moved the last of her things out the day before while he had been in class, and Molly should be there any time to get his key. Hopefully he would be there sooner rather than later.

As he thought this, pulling on a dark blue sweater and tying back his hair, he heard his phone buzz on the side table.

** Molly: ** Good morning  mr Caleb!  Im headed over w Yash,  c u soon~

He smiled, wonderful, this way he wouldn’t have to bother the landlord. 

** Caleb ** : Good Morning  Mollymauk , that sounds good. I have left the front door open for you. 

He continued with his morning routine, feeling much more like himself then he had all week, despite the lingering  exhaustion that one good night sleep hadn’t quite alleviated. 

About 20 minutes later, just as he was filling his travel mug, the door opened and in walked Molly and Yasha. Molly waved brightly, Yasha nodded at him

“ Heyyyy darling! Glad we caught you before you had to leave!”

“I hope we didn’t hold you up...”  Yasha said softly. 

“ _ Nein _ , no you are fine. I was just finishing up getting ready” Caleb smiled at them. He grabbed the envelope off the counter and walked over to Molly, holding it out. 

“Your key is in there, plus a key for the laundry room downstairs, it’s the yellow one” he nodded over to the fridge “the landlords number is on the side of the fridge there, in case you have trouble... as is the number for the library” he paused, chewing his lip for a moment. 

“I am sorry if it is odd, but I also have my class and work schedule posted up there... just in case you need to get ahold of me” he flushed slightly “Beauregard said it was a bit much but...” he trailed off, not looking at either of them. 

Molly smiled brightly at him, taking the envelope. 

“I think that’s sweet, this way I don’t have to worry if my  favourite squishy wizard isn’t responding right away! Right Yash?”

Yasha nodded again, a warm smile on her face “it’s very considerate of you.”   
Caleb exhaled the breath he had been holding and smiled over at her before looking back to Molly. 

“okay, well, I have to head out now... I won’t be back until about 9:30” he paused, thoughtful “though I suppose you will be at the bar by then  _ ja _ ?” 

Molly nodded, pulling off his boots while  Yasha hug her coat on one of the empty hooks. 

“Yeah, I’ll be gone by then for sure. I’ll try to be quiet when I come back in, it’ll be late” 

Caleb nodded again, moving to pull on his boots and coat “there’s plenty of food and such, please feel free to help yourself. Veth insisted on buying groceries before she left” 

Molly hummed appreciatively, as he and  Yasha started bringing his boxes of clothes into the empty bedroom. Caleb waved, and headed out the door. 

The bus ride to campus was never  Calebs favourite part of the day, but the morning ones were marginally better. They were never crowded after the second week of class, and the traffic was usually fairly light so he never worried about being late. He walked quickly from the bus over to the lecture hall, this was one of his largest classes with about 100 students on average. He chose his usual seat, center stage and three rows back. It allowed for a clear view and easy listening without the discomfort of being right up front. As he was pulling out his laptop and getting set up on the little desk, he heard the chair to his right move. He looked up, smiling as he saw the familiar tall drow man looking back at him. He was about Caleb's height, dressed in a pair of well-tailored black slacks and a dark grey collared shirt, with a silver buttoned black vest done up over it. His long ears had several fine silver piercings in them, including on diamond that dangled from the very tip of his right ear.

“ _ Guten _ _ morgen _ Essek ” he said as  Essek sat down and pulled his own laptop out. 

“Good morning Caleb, how are you today?” 

“Quite well, thank you. Looking forward to the weekend though I admit” he chuckled.  Essek smiled back and nodded.

“Perfectly understandable”

Their conversation was ended as the rest of the class settled in and the professor took the stage. Caleb took  copious notes, even though he really would not need them, he always felt better having them anyway. As class  ended, he bid  Essek goodbye with a wave and a smile, he liked  Essek . His calm  demeanor and lack of desire to distract Caleb during class was a welcome change from every other friend or classmate he had encountered so far. 

He walked the familiar path from his classroom to the cafeteria, grabbing a  sandwich and chips, and refilling his travel mug at the coffee machine. He pulled out his phone to turn the vibration back on. The phone was blinking with a *New Message* notification on the screen. He clicked it open:

** Molly ** : darling! I no ur in class but the delivery ppl r almost here so we put Frumpy in your room

** Molly ** : hope that’s ok!  😊

The next time stamp was for 20 minutes later :

** Molly ** : Yash might catnap Frumpy!

** Molly ** : <image attached>

Caleb tapped to download the image and laughed out loud when it loaded. On the screen was an image of  Yasha , usually so serious, sitting against the couch with a huge  smile on her face while  Frumpkin bopped her nose with a paw. Even in the still image Caleb could see the playful curl of the  cats' tail, and how gently  Yasha was petting him. It was such a sweet departure from what someone would expect of a person of  Yasha’s size and strength. 

“ What’cha lookin ’ at  there Caleb?” came a familiar drawling voice from across the table. 

Caleb looked up, smiling at Fjord and sliding the phone over as his friend sat down. Fjord huffed out a laugh and handed it back.

“Well, looks like they’re  havin ’ fun huh?” 

“It would seem so, I am almost worried that my cat will be gone by the time I get home”

Fjord laughed again, taking a bite of his sandwich. The rest of their lunch was fairly quiet, the ate and chatted about classes. Caleb stood up as he finished, tossing his garbage into the trash can at the end of the table and bidding Fjord goodbye with a wave. He started walking towards the psychology building. He had no classes there, but Dr Pike was a professor as well as the head counselor, so her offices were located in the building. He walked into the waiting room, taking a deep breath. The light  incense always calmed him down, that, mixed with the soft lighting and warm  colour scheme of the room, was always a  welcome break from the bustling  campus. The young dwarven woman at the desk smiled at him 

“Good afternoon Mr. Widogast” 

He nodded and waved, heading over to a chair in the corner closest to the office door. He knew he was a few minutes early, he often was, so he pulled out his phone. 

*New Message!*

** Beauregard ** : Hey man, do you mind grabbing coffee on ur way here from the doc?  Zeenoth is gone so he won’t notice a couple minutes difference

** Beauregard ** : please or w/e

Caleb laughed quietly as he typed out a reply

** Caleb ** : Sure Beauregard, that is no problem. 

He hit send as he heard the office door open, looking up he saw Dr Pike smiling over at him. A gnomish woman somewhere in her 50’s, she was much shorter than Caleb but she always had an air of authority to her. She waved him in and walked through the door, leaving it open. When he entered the  office, he walked over to the chair he always sat it, a large leather armchair right by the window. Dr Pike was seated at her desk as usual. When Caleb had first started coming to her, he had always made himself sit in the harder chair across the desk from her, but now he knew better. These sessions always went better when he was more comfortable. 

“Good afternoon Caleb, I hope you’ve been well since we last spoke?” She hopped out of her chair and sat in the other armchair across from him, notepad and pen in hand. 

He smiled wanly at her, then sighed. 

“Well Doctor, I will be honest, this week was not the best for me”

He went into an  explanation of the panic attack a week before, his return to previous nightmares and poor sleeping habits, and just the general stress it had snowballed into that week. She listened to it all without  interruption , making notes as he spoke. When he reached the end of his re-cap, he looked up at her and smiled slightly

“But you know, the Nein only proved exactly what you have been saying to me” 

She looked up at that, a small smile playing on her lips 

“Oh? Do tell”

“I have been trying to let them... to let them help. They all know about my attacks now, and the nightmares... to an extent” he paused, looking away “I have not... told them the whole story. Only Nott and Beauregard know that... but the others have been very supportive anyway” 

“They care about you” she said simply, still smiling warmly “you’re very lucky Caleb, you have a family in your Mighty Nein” 

Caleb nodded his agreement, still looking out the window

“And how are things with Veth? She has officially moved out now right?” Caleb frowned slightly, nodding again “how has that been for you?”

“It has been... difficult” he paused, chewing his lip “I miss having her around, we have lived together for such a long time. Even before we had a physical place to live  ** in ** we had each other” the doctor nodded, concern on her face now “but I...” he looked up at her with a small half smile “I love her, and Yeza makes her happy. I want her to be happy.” 

The doctor smiled back “that’s very good, it shows how much you care for her” 

“We have been through much together, thick and thin as they say  _ ja _ ?” She nodded to him. 

“And what about your apartment? Are you able to keep it without her income or are you looking at other living situations?” 

Caleb’s eyes widened  slightly; he had forgotten that the doctor did not know about Mollymauk. 

“I actually... made a new friend, who happened to need a place to go. He is moving in as we speak” she looked a little surprised as Caleb continued “He is a friend of Beauregard and  Yasha , from  Fletchings ’? His name is  Mollymauk ... Beau introduced us last  Folsen and well....” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly “we got to talking and it came out that he needed a room so... I offered Veths’?” his voice lowered slightly in  embarrassment “I had far too much whiskey, it seemed like a good idea at the time and well.... he’s nice enough, and has a job...” 

Let it be known, Doctor Pike  Trickfoot does  _ not _ usually laugh at her patients. 

Usually. 

She chuckled, trying to hold it back as  Caleb's cheeks reddened, he looked up at her, scandalized. 

“I apologize Caleb, I’m just very proud of you!” she said smiling brightly, he just looked confused now “not for the whiskey, we can talk about that later, but you reached out to someone new. Last year when you started coming to see me, you spoke to two other people, Veth and Beauregard. The only reason you even spoke to Beauregard was because she refused to leave you alone until you let her in.” Her smile softened into something warm, almost maternal in nature “This is a huge step for you Caleb, you should be very proud.” 

Caleb pushed his hand through his hair, still blushing brightly, but he smiled all the same. The doctor was right, Caleb would never have done something like this a year ago. 

They spent the rest of the session talking about  Caleb's plan for this month, discussing the triggers that he had noticed and things that had helped. The doctor agreed that having Beauregard and Veth on speed dial was a good idea, since they seemed the best at bringing him down from panic attacks. By the end of the session, Caleb was feeling calm and prepared. Caleb liked to have a plan, and a  backup plan, for any situation, and he found these sessions were a wonderful way to set that up. 

As he headed towards the coffee shop between the Psychology building and library, Caleb found himself feeling hopeful. It was a nice change or pace. He grabbed the coffees, plus two blueberry muffins, and walked into the library. Their desk was up on the third floor, so Caleb started the trek up the stairs. He used to take the elevator, but Beau was on his case about being a “squishy wizard” and how he needed to take better care of himself. So, stairs. 

It was 3:52 when he arrived at the desk, Beau was on the phone with a student (judging by how grumpy she looked) and mouthed “kill me now” when she saw him standing there. He rolled his eyes, walked around the desk and sat her coffee and a muffin in front of her instead. She perked up at the muffin, turning to smile and hold two thumbs up, he tried not to laugh. One of the easiest ways to make Beau feel better about work was to bring in snacks. 

She finally hung up the phone 5 minutes later, and Caleb looked up from the study room log book he had been reviewing.

“I  ** swear ** man, the first years this year are fucking  duuuumb ” she took a bite of the muffin, and after swallowing it smiled at him “thanks for this by the way, I needed a boost”

“Not a problem, I needed one too” he said, indicating his own muffin and travel mug. She nodded, understanding. 

“Good session today?” she asked, looking back at the screen and clearly trying for  nonchalant . Caleb nodded, humming in agreement. “You don’t have to say, obviously... Just like, tell me to fuck off if you want but...” she paused, turning back to him “did you tell her about last week?” 

Caleb took a sip of his coffee, playing for time before nodding again

“Yes, the attack and everything else too” 

She nodded seriously “I don’t  wanna butt in to your stuff man, I just like... worry or whatever. I know Veth not being around probably makes them harder...” to  Calebs surprise, her cheeks had gone just faintly red “but like,  you’re family man.  So if, I  dunno , you need to talk or  somethin ’... I’m around.” 

Caleb tilted his head  slightly; this was a side of Beau he very rarely saw. Usually her brand of ‘showing people I care’ involved more threats, but it seemed like she could barely look him in the eye. 

He leaned over, bumping her shoulder lightly with his own and smiling when she looked at him. 

“I appreciate it” he paused and said quietly “I put you and Veth on speed dial, I will call if I need to, okay?”

She narrowed her eyes, trying to see if he was being serious, then nodded seeming satisfied. The rest of the shift was quiet,  Folsen nights were mainly administrative catch up. Putting away returns, setting up study spaces for the next week, catching up on emails and the like. By the time 9pm rolled around, they were the only people left in the library other than one half elf man on the front desk, and the cleaning staff who were just arriving. They grabbed the bus, chatting about plans for the weekend. Caleb had a paper due the next week for his Ancient Magics class, and Beau had to finish writing up a report for the  Cobalt Soul. Beau had a shift on  Yulisen , but Caleb was off until the following Miresen.

“So just a dull, boring no fucking fun weekend then?” Beau grumbled as they took the stairs up to the second floor of the apartment.

“It looks like it” Caleb replied, with a wry smile, and he opened the stairwell door to head over to his apartment. 

He could hear Beau grumbling until the door snapped shut behind him. 

Part Two: Molly

As the apartment door clicked shut behind Caleb, Molly turned to Yasha with a wide grin on his face.

“This is it Yash! I’m moving in! I have and  _ apartment _ that I pay  _ rent _ for! Like a real  _ Adult!!” _ he bounced once, unable to contain his excitement as his tail whipped about.  Yasha smiled at him

“I’m very proud of you Molly”

He flushed brightly, grabbing the last box from by the door and dropping it on the couch.    


“I think it makes more sense to leave the boxes out here until the furniture is set up... right?” he looked to her for confirmation.  Yasha nodded, and so they moved the boxes, stacking them up on and around the couch. As they finished, they heard a soft “ mrow ?” from the other end of the room. Molly turned and gasped as the  Bengal cat stared at him curiously.  Yasha laughed softly 

“ Oh hello kitty, you must be  Frumpkin ” she said quietly as she walked slowly over, bent double with one hand out. The cat walked up and sniffed her hand cautiously before butting his head up against it. 

“ Awwwww , he likes you  Yasha ” Molly walked over slowly, trying not to startle the little cat “hello there  you gorgeous baby you” he cooed. The cat came up and bumped his hand and Molly was pretty sure this was the best day ever. His phone rang and he picked it up without looking at the screen.

“You’ve got Molly” the voice on the other end was automated, telling him that his delivery would be arriving  within 30 minutes and to please have someone outside if the address was a condo or apartment building. He hung up and looked at  Yasha , “that was the furniture delivery people, they’ll be here soon.” He looked at  Frumpkin , and frowned... moving all the boxes up here would probably scare the poor thing. 

“Maybe we should move this cutie into his  daddy's room while we bring up the boxes? We could put his food and water in there too”  Yasha nodded. They moved all the kitty stuff into  Calebs room, fighting the urge to be nosy and promising they would be right back when  Frumpkin looked at them reproachfully. As they got downstairs Molly pulled out his phone.

“Better let Caleb know about  Frumpkin , Beau says he’s super private so I don’t want him worried about us being in his room” he said in response to  Yasha’s questioning look, she nodded, smiling warmly at him.

** Molly ** : darling! I no ur in class but the delivery ppl r almost here so we put Frumpy in your room

** Molly ** : hope that’s ok!  😊

The truck arrived quickly, and between himself,  Yasha and the three delivery guys it only took them about 10 minutes to get everything into the living room.  Yasha tipped the guys and sent them on their way while Molly let  Frumpkin out. He walked over to the fridge, pulling out a couple cans of pop for them to sip at while they worked. Turning around he nearly dropped the cans, there was  Yasha , sitting against the couch with  Frumpkin in her lap. She was  scratching under the cat chin and smiling brightly, looking completely at ease. He set the pop down on the kitchen island and pulled out his phone, managing to snap a picture just as  Frumpkin bopped  Yasha on the nose with one little paw. 

He opened his messaging app, laughing as he did so and opened the message chain between himself and Caleb

** Molly ** : Yash might catnap Frumpy!

** Molly ** : <image attached>

He snickered again, Caleb would love that, Jester was always sending him cat pictures. He walked over and leaned down, scratching between  Frumpkins ears.

“Alright love, I want to sleep in an actual bed tonight, so I have to steal you away from your new best friend” he pretended to pout.  Yasha smiled, putting  Frumpkin down and standing up. Molly smiled, grabbing the box that looked like the bedframe and dragging it to his room. He pulled out his phone, opening up the music app and throwing it on shuffle. 

Building his bedframe took them nearly 45 minutes, but once it was  done, they threw the mattress on it and he flopped down, laughing. 

“ Yasha ! I have a real bed!” he reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her down onto the mattress with him as she laughed. He stared at the ceiling, feeling full of a contentment he hadn’t felt in years.

“I want some of those glow in the dark stars to stick on the ceiling.” 

Yasha laughed, sitting up and pulling him with her “c’mon Molly,  let's get the rest of this stuff built, then we can talk about decorations” 

It took them the better part of the day to get everything built and set up the way he wanted. They got the bed set up with sheets and pillows (so many pillows), and unpacked his clothes and most of his makeup. The stopped for dinner around 6, and had to leave at 8 so that  Yasha could get on duty at the door of the bar. Molly got on stage that night feeling better than he had in ages. He had a place to call his own, with real furniture, and so many soft pillows waiting for him. His clothes were put away in an actual wardrobe and when he went home tonight... someone would actually be there. 

The show was fantastic, the crowd was wild and enthusiastic and he wasn’t sure if it was just a good crowd or if they were feeding off his own optimism. He sang his heart out, danced and even laughed. When the set ended at  12 he cleaned himself up a bit in the back room before heading towards the bar. Gus was serving again tonight, and Molly was happy to see Beau, Fjord and Jester sitting at the bar chatting. 

“Hey babes!” he called as he walked over, sliding onto a stool next to Beau.

They all called hellos, Beau sliding a beer his way. He accepted it with a nod to her,  she nodded back. 

“Great show Molly!” Fjord said smiling, Jester nodded happily in agreement. 

“How was the move?” asked Beau, looking at him critically. 

“It went great!” he enthused “we got there early enough that darling Caleb was able to hand off the keys without bothering the landlord, and it took no time at all to get everything upstairs once the delivery people arrived” he took a welcome sip of his beer, not his  favourite drink, but it was welcome “and then  Yasha helped me get everything built! I get to go home to a proper bed tonight!” Fjord leaned over to cheers with him, smiling. 

“We’re happy for you Molly, it’s good to see you so happy!” said Jester with her usual bright smile. Molly beamed back at her. 

Molly knew this shouldn’t have been a big deal, he was in his mid 20’s, well past the usual “moved out of my  parents' house” age. But considering the fact that his memory only spanned about 6 years... he didn’t feel too bad. 

“Oh! Molly!” Jester jumped up and grabbed his hand 

“Yes dear??” he answered, laughing 

“Molly, there is this wall paper that I saw, it’s completely removeable! We should go out and get some for your room! That way you can really make it yours without having to paint!” 

He thought about it for  _ almost  _ three whole seconds before nodding emphatically 

“That sounds amazing dear!” 

The next hour rolled by like nothing, Jester, Fjord and Beau left around 1:30, Beau had work tomorrow and the others had homework.  Yasha was still working, so Molly sat at the bar, chatting with regulars.

“So” came Gus’ voice from the other side of the bar “you seem happy with the room so far”

Molly looked up, into the face of the man he thought of as a father, and he smiled. It wasn’t the bright show-man smile he used normally, but a softer smile. A true smile. 

“I think so Gus, Caleb seems really sweet, and he has this adorable cat named  Frumpkin who totally loves me, which I see as a good sign!  Plus, I have a real bedframe and wardrobe now, and  Yasha even found a gorgeous vanity that matched” he paused for breath before continuing “and now I have a space that’s 100% my own, and I’m SO excited!” he stopped, smiling brightly at Gus. 

Gus smiled back fondly “I’m happy for you Molls, you deserve something that’s yours”

Molly nodded, finishing off his drink, he paid and headed to the door to say good night to  Yasha . The walk home was quick, the autumn air was starting to really cool down now (“I should grab a new coat while I’m out with Jessie...” he thought) causing him to walk faster than usual. He took a moment to stare up at the building as he walked up, a smile breaking over his face as he walked in. It was oddly satisfying to unlock the door and head to the elevator, even more so to unlock the actual apartment door and walk in. The main room was dark, so he made sure to be as quiet as possible as he pulled off his boots and coat.  Caleb's door was slightly ajar, but no noise was coming from the dark room, so Molly assumed that was for  Frumpkin to be able to move about in the night. He walked to his room,  _ his room _ , gods that sounded nice, and looked around. He walked over to the window, cracking it open just a touch before lighting and incense stick in the holder on the sill. He pulled off all of his  jewelry , leaving it laid out on the  vanity , and tossed his clothes into the hamper that  Yasha had remembered to grab before pulling on his comfortable  pajama pants. 

Curling up under the new sheets, surrounded by a pile of soft new pillows, Molly settled in for the best night of sleep he had had in a  _ long _ time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some soft boys moving and doing therapy! Yes, Pike Trickfoot, from campaign one, is the therapist. Is it a cliche? Absolutely and you can't stop me from clinging to iiiiit. The others might pop in, I'm only about 40 episodes into C1 though, so don't expect perfect personalities hahaaaa  
> Also I might mix up the format a bit and start with Molly next chapter, they have been fairly Caleb-centric so far (I can't help it, I love my awkward boy) but I'd love a bit more Molly up in here.  
> Okay thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exposition! Caleb is a Sweet Baby! Nail Polish! Fluff!
> 
> Okay, sorry this chapter took a while, I was having issues with the timeline and had to rework some stuff.   
> Also, yes it's still very Caleb-centric. I can't help it, I find him more natural to write (awkward nerds unite) but I'm working on it I sweaaaaar

Chapter Five

Part One: Caleb

Caleb was feeling... surprisingly good. The last month had gone by without a hitch, no panic  attacks, no nightmares... and he was actually sleeping until his alarm most days. Mollymauk, to Veth’s unending surprise, had turned out to be a great room-mate. Caleb didn’t find that his lifestyle had really changed much, he still got up at the same time every morning, had a shower, got dressed, and made breakfast before class or work. He had found himself continuing his old habit of making enough breakfast for two and putting the second helping away in the fridge. He used to do it for Veth, because she didn’t wake up until nearly noon most days after getting in from work between 4 and 5am. Now, he did it for Mollymauk, just out of habit. The first time he had done it, the Monday after Mollymauk moved in, he had received a text around 11am... 

** Mollymauk ** :  Caaaaleb ! U made me breakfast??! 😮 😍

** Mollymauk ** ** :  ** <image attached>

It had been a selfie of  Mollymauk , making an  exaggerated shocked face into the camera while holding the plate up, with a bunch of little heart stickers all over the picture. 

Caleb smirked  thinking about it. He had explained to  Mollymauk that it was a habit, and he would certainly continue if it made him that happy. He had received a text that was just a ton of different heart emojis, so he kept making breakfast for two.  Mollymauk only worked three nights of the week, including his  Folsen night gigs with the band. He and Caleb had developed a comfortable rhythm for the nights they were actually both  home . Usually Caleb would get home from work or class, and  Mollymauk would have on either the music channel, some cheesy movie, or reality TV. He also came home to his friends sprawled around the place more often now, which he never complained about. Something about  Mollymauk living there had made their apartment the new meeting place, where previously it had been Beau and Jesters place. 

He was surprised to find that he was actually enjoying it. Caleb had always been a fairly solitary person, even more so in recent years. He loved his friends, of course, but it had never occurred to him to try and get them together. He usually just waited for a text or call, and decided if he was up for it from there.  Mollymauk was clearly more pro-active on that front. 

It was a typical  Whelsen evening when he really realized just how much having  Mollymauk around had changed his little home. He was coming home from a full day; work (9-1), History of the Arcane Lecture (2-4),  Dunamancy in Modern Times Lecture (4-6) and he was wiped. The bus ride home had nearly put him to sleep, if it hadn’t been for the sheer buzz of anxiety the being packed into a small space with that many strangers caused. 

Caleb walked into the apartment, sighing as he dropped his coat on the usual hook and tucking his boots against the wall below it. Realizing again how long  Whelsen’s always were, he really did his classes but as the holidays drew closer the workload was really ramping up. He paused as he was pulling his phone out of his bag... There was music playing, something poppy and up-beat that he only  vaguely recognized. He looked up and nearly started laughing. His living room was in disarray, the couch pushed back against the wall and the coffee table pushed against his bookshelves on the other side of the room. There were chip bags and empty pop and beer bottles scattered about, mixed with what looked like makeup and… nail polish bottles? The culprits were easy to find, as they were laying in the empty space they had created. 

Beau was laying on her back with one leg bent up, Jester's head was on her ribs and Jester was clearly painting the nails on one of Beaus hands a bright cerulean.  Mollymauk was laying with his head on Beaus hips, his horns just nearly touching Jesters. Beaus other hand was in his, being painted what looked like a glittery black. Beau.... was clearly drunk, babbling away with Molly about some band while Jester giggled. Caleb couldn’t help but smile, it was nice seeing them all together. Beau was like the sister he had never had, and Jester had swiftly wormed her way into a very similar space in his mind.  Mollymauk was, well  Mollymauk . He was wild and bright, and had a  tendency to leave everyone he met smiling.

He could not help but think of how the apartment had changed in just the last month,  Mollymauk’s personality had spilled out and just seemed to brighten the whole place. Small trinkets had appeared slowly all around, from the shelves of the books case, to sitting on top of the tv, to windowsills and even tucked into the back of the kitchen counters. Even now, there were no less than three silky scarves tossed over furniture, including  Caleb's favourite one (deep blue with gold suns, moons and stars all over it and astrological signs around the edge) which was currently draped over the back of his reading chair. Not that Caleb would admit to having a  favourite , he wasn’t even sure why he liked it so much. 

He walked over, stopping to lean over the trio, bent at the waist, smiling at Beau.

“Cay!” she called as soon as she noticed him “what’s up maaan?” He put his hands on his hips and smirked.

“I could ask you the same thing Beauregard, it looks like you have drunk all my beer” 

She scoffed, not remotely  embarrassed “I brought my own dude, I’m not like,  _ completely _ manner less” 

“Hi Cay- leeeb " sang Jester, waving the nail brush at him and flicking bright  nail polish drops onto herself and Beau.

“ Evenin ’ dear”  Mollymauk purred, Caleb rolled his eyes, so Beau hadn’t been drinking alone at least. 

Caleb went back to the kitchen, grabbing three beers and a pop from the fridge and  brought them over to the group, sitting cross legged by Beaus head. He put the beers next to Beau and  Mollymauk and sat the pop by Jester before taking a swig of his own beer. 

“So, what’s the occasion?” he asked, looking at Jester.

“ Yasha had to go out of town suddenly” Jester said, pouting briefly “so Molly and Beau are sad” 

Oh.

“I am sorry to hear that” he said, placing a hand on Beaus shoulder “She’ll be home soon though surely? With winter coming the thunderstorms will calm down” Beau shrugged, and  Mollymauk sighed. 

Caleb didn’t understand  Yasha’s need to chase the storms, but last year at least it had slowed down during the winter months. He knew it made Beau sad, though she never once tried to stop  Yasha going. He looked over at  Mollymauk , the  Tiefling was still utterly focused on Beaus nails... or at least pretending very well. Caleb only knew a bit about his relationship to  Yasha , only what Beau had talked about, but even so Caleb could only assume he must be hurting. That was another thing he had learned about  Mollymauk in the month they had been friends and roommates, the only thing that made  Mollymauk happier than being on stage and the center of attention... was seeing the people he cared about happy. It was something that they had in common, Caleb couldn’t care less about his own happiness, he still barely believed he deserved it, but if you hurt his friends... Well, you wouldn’t want to find out what would happen to you. 

Caleb took another sip of his drink and scratched under  Frumpkins chin, the cat had wandered over while he was talking to the others. 

“Well, why don’t you two stay over? We can make a night of it” he suggested, looking down at Beau and over to Jester curiously “if you don’t mind of course,  Mollymauk ”

Mollymauks ears perked up, his tail twitching happily, and Caleb was struck again by how similar  Tiefling tails were to cats. 

“That sounds  ** lovely ** Mr. Caleb!” he cooed “what an excellent suggestion” 

Caleb rolled his eyes as Jester sat up suddenly, he jumped slightly and looked over at her 

“Caleb! You  **_ need _ ** to let me do your nails too!” She clasped her hands together and stared directly into his eyes “pretty  pretty please? I have the most perfect colour!” 

Caleb sighed “will you actually take no for an answer?”

“No! I’ll just get Molly to sit on you so you can’t get away!” 

“I’d do it too”  Mollymauk added,  unnecessarily . 

“I don’t doubt it” Caleb sighed “ _ ja _ fine, you can paint my nails” 

And  so, the evening went, they drank and watched crappy reality tv. Beau curled up against Caleb while Jester painted his nails, no one bothered to sit on the couch. Instead they pulled blankets and pillows from the bedrooms and piled in on the floor.  Mollymauk made popcorn and ordered  Marquesian takeout, plus broke out the whiskey from the cupboard above the fridge. Jester decided that pale lavender nails would be perfect for Caleb, except for the ring fingers which she painted a metallic gold. The  colour was pretty, and honestly Caleb was used to Jester doing things like this, so he didn’t think much of it. Molly’s cheeks went just a touch darker when he saw what Jester was doing, but he didn’t say anything, so Caleb (tipsy as he was) just let it go. 

Jester and Molly stole the controller at one point, putting on a baking show and proceeding to yell at the contestants whenever they did something wrong. Caleb took this moment to look over at Beau, who had been far more quiet than usual. She was curled up next to him, and he had one arm comfortably around her shoulders.

“Hey” he whispered, she looked over, raising an eyebrow curiously “you okay?”

She sighed and shrugged “just miss her is all” she mumbled.

Caleb nodded, Beau had never been good with feelings, and her feelings for  Yasha specifically. Caleb was pretty sure there was something going on between the two women, but Beau hadn’t said anything, so he didn’t either. He knew she would tell him when she was ready, that’s what siblings were for  after all . Instead, he just squeezed her shoulders for a moment, causing her to smile up at him. Beau was easily one of the most important people in his life, he trusted her with everything. She knew his whole story, every horrible, painful detail, and she had stuck around. She had supported him, helped Veth get him to therapy, sat with him during more panic attacks then he could count. 

Whenever she wanted to talk about whatever was between her and  Yasha , he would be there, come hells or high waters. 

Once Jester had finished his nails, Molly took the liberty of laying his head in  Caleb's lap, still yelling at the screen. Caleb found he didn’t  mind; he had gotten used to Molly’s need for physical contact very quickly. It was a bit tough when his phone buzzed however, and he ended up letting Beau reach into his pocket and pull it out. Big mistake.

“ ohhhh is  Essek !” she cooed teasingly “wonder what Hot  Boi wants this late at night hmmm?”

Jester joined in “ oooh-ing ” suggestively as Caleb rolled his eyes and took the phone

** Essek ** ** : ** Good evening Caleb, I apologize for sending this so late. I was looking over our syllabus for the History of  Exandria and I believe we have a team project coming up. 

Caleb thought about it, he was fairly certain he had seen the same thing 

** Caleb ** : Good evening  Essek , it is no trouble, I am still up. I believe you are correct about the project, were you thinking we could work together?

It made sense, they had similar fields of study and grades, they were both hard  workers , and as a bonus they were already friends

** Essek ** : Yes actually, if you are not opposed. I feel we could get very good results together

** Caleb ** : That sounds good to me, let’s discuss more once we get the outline. I would be happy to partner up for the project.

Caleb looked up, both Jester and Beau were smirking at him, but when his eyes strayed to where Molly was resting in his lap, he noticed the briefest pout cross the  Tieflings face. 

“ Soooooo ?” teased Jester “is he like TO-tally into you? Is it a sneaky booty call Cay-leb?” 

Beau wiggled her eyebrows at him and he rolled his eyes

“No. We are planning to work together on a class paper, that’s all” Beau ‘boo-ed’ at him and Jester rolled her eyes.

“Yeah okay  suuuuure , if you say so. But like, I bet he is totally into you and is like, definitely using the project to get time with you probably” 

Caleb sighed, arguing with her would only add fuel to the fire, so instead he silenced his phone and went back to watching the baking show. Within a few minutes, Jester and Molly (and now even Beau) had returned to  yelling at contestants. Caleb settled in, comfortable with Beaus solid form beside him,  Mollys head settled in his lap and Jester curled up in front of him, her legs over his.

Part Two: Molly

Molly loved baking shows, there was always something satisfying about watching people take raw ingredients and turn them into insane looking food. He especially loved watching them with his friends, because they could yell at the screen and lament any tiny mistake the bakers made (despite never having baked a single thing in his life). He was comfortable too, with Jester curled up next to him and his head resting on Caleb’s lap. He couldn’t help but be impressed by the change in Caleb over the last month. He had been nervous  initially , because Beau and  Yasha had warned him that Caleb could be iffy with physical contact. So, he had started slow, a hand on his arm when the talked, taking his hand to lead him somewhere when the group all hung out, that sort of thing. Now, only a month later, he was laying with his head rested comfortably on  Caleb's thighs.

He had to admit, Caleb’s preference for joggers and sweatpants (when he didn’t have work) had been mildly distressing to Molly at first. But he had to admit, nuzzling up against soft fabric like this was  _ much _ better than denim. He watched Caleb silence his phone and put it away. 

Who was this  Essek ? He had heard the others mention him before. Veth, Jester and Beau all called him “Hot  Boi ” more often  than not, though he  knew Beau only did it to annoy Caleb. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t like the idea of this  Essek . 

He tried to think of something else, but his mind went back to  Yasha by default. He had spent the night helping Jester cheer up Beau, and using that as a distraction for himself as well.  Yasha was the closest thing to family he had, other than Gus. She had been with him when he woke up in hospital with no memory 6 years ago, and again when he woke up in hospital with half the bones in his body broken and  nowhere to go. She had stayed with him for the first year, living out of Gus’s attic to make sure he was safe, going to court dates and holding his hand through the worst nights. It had taken him nearly a month to be able to sleep alone once she had started chasing the storms again. 

He knew, logically, that she would be home soon (“within a week” she had promised when she left, kissing the top of his head and hugging him tight), and that once the winter set in she would be home. It was the one bonus to living so far north now, there were months where thunderstorms just didn’t exist. He wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it this time. He knew work would help, he’d be tired and less likely to dream, but knowing he couldn’t just call her up was hard. 

Suddenly, he felt fingers slide through his curls, gentle as anything. He looked up, confused. Caleb was looking down at him, concern in those too blue eyes.

‘You okay?’ Caleb mouthed at  him; lips turned down slightly

Molly smiled slightly and mouthed back ‘yeah, I’m okay’ 

Caleb didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push. Instead he continued to stroke Molly’s hair gently, the way Molly had seen him to with Veth  once or twice. Comfort, sweet and slow, washed over him and he snuggled in closer, making sure not to catch his horns on the human. 

They stayed like that for a long while, past the point when he heard Beaus breathing even out and deepen, the only sign that she had fallen asleep. He felt Jester go next, her shoulders rising and falling rhythmically.  Caleb's hand kept going, carding gently through  Molly's hair, until he felt himself drifting too. He might regret it in the morning, sleeping in the little nest of pillows and blankets on the floor instead on in his nice big bed, but for now... For  now, it felt like home. 

\----------

Molly woke up slowly, he was warm, and everything smelled so good. Some odd combination of sweet cinnamon, smoke and  ginseng . He forced his eyes open, trying to place the oddly comforting smell. He was  briefly more confused, as the only thing he could see was soft green wool in front of him. He could also hear soft breathing all around him, and he realized suddenly that there was a hand curled loosely into his hair. The warm body curled up behind him moved slightly, the soft gasp made him certain it was Jester. He felt her stand up, and shut his eyes, for some reason he didn’t want to be caught awake just yet. He heard a soft snicker and the sound of a camera shutter going off, oh, great, that would be fun. 

As he was trying to decide whether or not to “wake up” and end all this, he heard a soft grumble from slightly above him. The hand in his hair flexed slightly, tangling just a little more into his curls as  Caleb's other arm tightened around his waist. The effect was that he was pulled in and up, ending up with his head just below  Caleb's chin, and his own hands lightly pressed against the sleeping  man's chest. He heard a second snicker, and realized that Beau must have woken up too, Jester was shushing her now. He fought not to sigh, there was no way of winning here, if he got up  now, he would definitely wake Caleb, which would lead to a lot of  embarrassment for the poor man. However, if he continued to pretend to sleep... Caleb would wake up and  _ still _ be  embarrassed . 

But... the second option meant he got to lay here and be warm. Who would have thought, the shy and frankly standoffish wizard was a  cuddler . That was... interesting information. 

Just then, the alarm on  Caleb's phone started going off (“shit, he has to work  today... ” Molly remembered suddenly). Caleb grumbled, pulling his arms away and sitting up. Molly peaked through his eyelashes to see Caleb stretch, arms up above his head and eyes pressed closed. The ginger then rubbed his eye, blinking over at where Molly assumed Jester and Beau were looking on.

“ah...  _ guten _ _ morgen _ ... I hope my alarm did not wake you”  Caleb's voice was rough with sleep. 

Jester giggled “oh  nooo Caleb, don’t worry. We were already awake” Molly could  _ hear _ the cheeky smile that had to be on her face “Molly is totally the last one left now” 

At this, Caleb looked down, and his cheeks flared. He stood, making an excuse about needing to get ready for work, and moved quickly to his room. 

Molly found that he immediately missed the contact. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we gooooooooo!  
> Molly doesn't understand feelings, and Caleb is a cuddly baby. Plus, no one can say no to Jester, it just doesn't work.   
> I made a WHOLE-ASS SPREADSHEET to work out my timeline, I have up to chapter 15 loosely planned, with major scenes half written. 
> 
> Next chapter?   
> Less soft fluff, more angst fluff.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old Movies! Takeout! Molly is a Dramatic Baby! Also Essek is here! 
> 
> Here it is, a Molly-centric chapter! Being the only friend not in college sucks sometimes, but at least Frumpkin is there! I know I said this was going to be the angst-fluff chapter, but I was going through my spreadsheet and this particular scene made more sense here!  
> Angst next time!
> 
> Caleb loves spending his entire weekend in the library and no one will ever change my mind.

Chapter Six 

Part One: Caleb 

Caleb had spent the Conthsen following their impromptu sleep-over avoiding Mollymauk. He had woken up wrapped around the Tiefling like he was a giant stuffed toy. Caleb had hurried through his morning routine and practically ran out the door to his shift at the library. He could have sworn that he could still feel the plum curls tangled around his fingers... He didn’t know what to make of that. 

Of course, he had slept curled up with the others before, dozens of times in fact. It was a fairly normal way for their slumber parties to end. So, it wasn't really worth worrying about. 

His shift went normally, the library was mainly full of students working on end of term papers, and most of his day was spent pointing them to the right sections of the stacks. He stopped off at the grocery store on the way home to pick up a few necessities. He paused in the aisle as he was grabbing some more coffee and pulled out his phone. 

**Caleb** : Good afternoon Mollymauk, I am at the grocer and wanted to check if you need anything? 

**Mollymauk** : oh thats so sweet of u! Im low on honey if u dont mind grabbing it? 🐝💜 

**Caleb:** sure, that is no problem, I’ll put it in the tea cupboard for you 

**Mollymauk** **:** **💜** **😘**

Caleb rolled his eyes, Mollymauks way of texting reminded him so much of Jesters... absolutely no grammar and way too many emojis. 

Molly would be at work until late again, so Caleb made an easy dinner of pasta and chicken, leaving a second plate in the fridge as always. He spent the night quietly working through a few essays, letting the TV play softly in the background. Before bed, he washed up the dishes and fed Frumpkin, curling up in bed with the warm cat by his side. He fell asleep to the comfortable rumbling of the cats’ purr. 

\---- 

The next morning dawned bright and quiet, Caleb loved the autumn for this. The cool breeze and the quiet that seemed to overtake the world, especially in the mornings. Zadash was not as far north as the small village Caleb had grown up in, nor even as far as Rexxentrum... but it still got the cooler seasons. It even still snowed, which Jester and Fjord had been completely amazed by last year. Jester still loved it, Fjord had his boots soaked through once and decided that winter was not for him. Caleb smiled at the memory as he walked to his usual seat in class, pulling out his laptop to take notes. 

“Good morning Caleb” 

Caleb looked up and smiled as Essek slid into the seat next to him 

“Good morning Essek, having a good week so far?” 

“I am yes, though the workload certainly has risen with midterms coming up” 

Caleb nodded his agreement as the professor called them to order. As it turned out, they had been correct in assuming the professor would announce the midterm paper in that session. It was a fairly simple concept, pick and era of history and compare two societies anywhere on Exandria during that time. Caleb had been right to assume that it was more an exercise to see if they had strong enough research skills to continue on in the course. During the 10 minutes that the professor provided for group planning, he and Essek agreed to work together and even managed to jot down a few basic ideas before they were dismissed. Essek held back when Caleb tapped his arm. 

“I know we can pass our research more easily via email, but I feel it would be beneficial to talk in person at some point next week” he paused as Essek nodded “You are welcome to come to my apartment, it is more quiet than the library these days” 

“That sounds agreeable, I have a fairly full day on Miresen but I am free Grissen afternoon and evening if that works for you?” 

“That sounds good, I have a class until 3 but we could meet after that?” 

“Certainly, I can pick you up if that is easier” 

Caleb nodded, taking a piece of note paper out of his bag and writing down the classroom and time for Essek. The drow took it with a smile, nodded goodbye and they parted ways. 

Caleb met Fjord for lunch as always, the taller man smiled when he sat down 

“Afternoon Cay, havin’ a good day?” 

Caleb smiled back “fairly yes, my workload for the weekend just grew substantially... but that’s no surprise” 

“I feel that” Fjord sighed “I’ll just be glad when this semester is over and we can take a break” 

Caleb nodded, taking a bite of his sandwich 

“You comin’ to Fletching’s tonight?” Fjord asked after they had been eating in silence for a few minutes. Caleb sighed, he enjoyed going to Mollymauks gigs with Beau and the others, but he really needed to get started on that paper... 

“ _Nein_ , I have just too much to do, especially with the paper we just got today... it’s a group effort so I do not want to slack off” 

Fjord grimaced sympathetically “yikes, group work. Did you at least get someone on your level?” 

Caleb laughed “I am working with Essek, I’m more worried about not being on _his_ level” 

Fjord laughed and the conversation steered away to other things. They parted ways and Caleb headed for the library, stopping to grab coffee and a snack for himself and Beauregard on the way. He walked his usual path up to the big old building, heading for the stairs with a wave to the halfling woman running the main desk. Beauregard was leaning back, her feet on the desk and arms crossed on her chest when he walked up. 

“You’re going to break that chair Beauregard” 

She startled, nearly falling out of it 

“Shit dude! Make a noise or _something_!” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t be snoozing on the job _ja_? That might help” he replied with a roll of his eyes. He handed her the coffee and cheddar scone that he had grabbed for her. She very quickly forgave him for startling her. He spent the downtime during his shift beginning his research, emailing himself relevant articles and book titles so he could come back over the weekend. 

He bid Beauregard goodbye as they got off the bus, Beauregard was heading to meet Jester and Fjord at the bar and Caleb was heading home. 

“Are you **sure** you don’t wanna come with man? One night off won’t kill you or whatever” 

He smiled at her, shaking his head. 

“I still have other papers to do on top of the one with Essek, tell everyone hello for me though okay?” 

She shrugged, waved and walked off, leaning back with her hands in her pockets. 

Caleb got home and settled his things where he usually kept them, bringing his laptop and a can of pop into his room and flicking on the lights. He set his laptop on his desk and leaned down to pet Frumpkin as the cat wrapped around his ankles. 

“Well _meine_ _katze_ , it looks like It's just us for the evening, perhaps you can help me with all this work hm?” Frumpkin purred in response. 

Caleb proceeded to spend the entire rest of the night finishing off another paper, and working on a third. He only had two short shifts this weekend, so he could spend the entire rest of both days in the study rooms researching. As far as Caleb was concerned, it sounded like a great weekend. 

Part Two: Molly 

Molly smiled when he saw Beau walking in to join Jester and Fjord at the bar, his smile faltering only slightly when he realized that Caleb wasn’t with her. That was odd, he hadn’t missed a Folsen show since Molly moved into the apartment over a month ago. Was he still weirded out over the slumber party? But no, that wouldn’t make sense, Molly had seen Caleb curl up with the group a bunch of times when get togethers turned into sleep-overs. Hell, he’d woken up to find Fjord spooning the smaller man just the other week, nose in his hair and all. Caleb had just laughed and teased Fjord about being ‘such a gentleman’ and keeping his hands to himself. 

Weird. 

He shook himself to clear his head, deciding he would just ask Beau after the show. Speaking of which... the lights came up and Molly felt the glow deep down to his bones. Gods, he loved his job. 

They debuted a new song that night, he had been a bit nervous because he usually ran the final product by Yasha first. She was always honest with him, and surprisingly helpful when he had problems with lyrics just not working. But the crowd seemed to love it, so by the end of the show Molly was feeling pretty damned good about it too. He backed off the stage, blowing kisses and waving to the cheering hoard. He laughed out loud as he practically skipped to the dressing room to tidy up a bit before heading out to the bar. 

“Hellooooo Zadash!” he sang as he strutted up to his friends 

Jester whooped and clapped, smiling brightly. Beau whistled, clearly already drunk and Fjord just rolled his eyes. 

“You were great up there” Fjord drawled at him, before taking a sip of the familiar amber liquid in his glass “really, this whole gig suits you” 

“Awwww why thank you Mr. Fjord” Molly cooed, putting on a very over the top southern accent and batting his eyes “it means so much comin’ from such a true gentleman as yourself” 

Fjord flushed slightly and rolled his eyes again “yeah yeah yeah, shush you” 

Molly leaned over and sniffed the glass in Fjords hand... it smelled as familiar as it looked. Which was odd, Molly usually stuck to beer or extremely fruity mixed drinks. 

“What’cha drinking there? I can’t place why I know it” 

Beau burst out laughing “sure you can! It’s that honey whiskey that Caleb got trashed on the night he asked you to move in” Molly made a noise of comprehension, _that_ was why it was so familiar. It was the only thing other than beer that he had seen Caleb drink. 

“Speaking of our resident recluse, is there uh... any specific reason he’s not here?” Molly asked, trying to keep his voice casual. 

Why was it hard to keep his voice casual? That made no sense. 

It was Fjord who answered this time: 

“Oh yeah, he said he needs the time to do some research for a big group paper” he took a sip of his drink before adding casually “he said he’s lucky though, he’s workin’ with that Essek fella” 

Jester jumped up, grabbing Fjords arm and practically vibrating with excitement while Fjord looked absolutely shocked. 

“Oh my GODS, you mean HOT BOI ESSEK? That super handsome drow boy from the fancy fraternity?” 

“I...I suppose? Can’t be that many Essek’s around...Wh-” but she cut him off, clasping her hands in front of herself and sighing dramatically 

“Ohhhhh you _guys_ can you just _imagine_ ?? Two handsome wizards, studying late into the night... maybe they break out a bottle of like, super fancy wine and spend the _whole_ time flirting about super smart, totally sexy wizard things!!” she sighed dreamily “it would be _just_ like ‘The Magicians Companion’” 

Beau rolled her eyes “Jessie, not everything is like your weird porno books” Jester glared, dropping her hands to her hips 

“They are not _porn_ Beauuuu , they are **_romance_ ** ” ****

But Molly wasn’t listening, he was busy wondering what in the hells two nerdy wizards flirting would even look like. He voiced the question, to Beaus misery, and they spent the rest of the night trying to see how many times he and Jester could make Fjord blush and Beau curse. 

\----- 

That weekend absolutely dragged. 

Molly didn’t usually work weekends, because they were busy and Gus preferred the more experienced bartenders on shift. Beau was working, and she had some Cobalt Soul check in thing or something. Jester was helping out at Caddy’s shop. Fjord was claiming that he was too busy with homework, just like Caleb. 

Caleb, who left the apartment before Molly got up and didn’t get home until after the library closed at 7. Then he would say a quick “ _hallo”_ before grabbing coffee and a snack and retreating to his room to work _more_. Molly knew that Caleb wasn’t necessarily avoiding him, the man just didn’t know how to sit down and take a damned break. Molly was convinced that it couldn’t possibly be good for him. 

So, being the excellent room-mate and friend that he was, Molly decided to _make_ him take a break. Molly knew that Caleb would be home fairly early on Miresen, and that he himself didn’t start his shift at the bar until 9. So, when he was up and ready for the day, dressed in his ‘I have work later’ best (a tight black sleeveless turtleneck, grey distressed skinny jeans and sparkly silver eyeliner), he pulled out his phone and sent Caleb a selfie 

**M** **o** **l** **l** **y** : <image attached>

**Molly** : Mr Caleb! pick dinner, my treat! 💜💜 

In the image, Molly was holding flyers for two of the places they usually ordered from, a Marquesian place and the local pizza joint, and winking at the camera with his forked tongue sticking out 

He laid on the couch, petting Frumpkin when the cat curled up on his chest. Flipping through channels he found some old black and white movie and let it play. About an hour later his phone dinged on the coffee table, he reached over eagerly. 

**Mr** **Caleb** : that is very kind of you, you pick the food and I will stop and get us some drinks to go with it. Does that sound good? 

Molly smiled brightly, his tail curling against the side of the couch 

**Molly** : Sounds perfect dear! c u soon!😊 

So, scooping Frumpkin up in his arms, he stood up and started looking over the flyers. The Marquesian stuff had been really good the other day, but he didn’t want to be too repetitive... 

But it had been _really_ good. 

He shrugged and started circling the dishes he wanted to order, it made phone ordering a lot easier. 

Caleb got home about an hour later, just as Molly was hanging up the phone, he toed off his shoes and brought the liquor store bag into the kitchen. 

“ _Hallo_ Mollymauk” he smiled that familiar warm smile that Caleb only used for his friends, Molly smiled brightly back and took the bag so Caleb could hang up his coat. 

The human's cheeks and nose were pink from the cooler evening air, he pulled off an old blue scarf and hung it up with his coat. 

“I ordered from that place we had the other day, I hope you don’t mind the repeat” Molly said as he started putting drinks in the fridge, beer (Beaus usual brand and a few of the darker ones Caleb preferred) and two bottles of wine. 

“ _Nein_ , it was really good.” 

The food arrived fairly quickly after that, and they brought the take out containers, drinks and cutlery into the living room. They didn’t bother with plates, instead opting to just pick from the containers themselves. Molly found the same channel he had been watching earlier, and a movie Caleb said was called ‘ _Casa Blanca’_ came on. They sat on the floor, backs against the couch, because why bother with a couch? Caleb would quietly fill Molly in with little trivia facts and historical references as the movie played, and Molly nodded along, enjoying the way Caleb would perk up when he got the chance to share the little snippets of information. Molly realized that Caleb must have watched this movie way more than once, and made a mental note of the channel... they would have to watch more of these.

The hours flew by, and before Molly knew it, the alarm on his phone was going off telling him it was time to leave for work. Molly groaned in annoyance, making Caleb chuckle next to him. 

“I see how it is Mr. Caleb, my pain amuses you” Molly looked over, faux pouting at the other man 

Caleb only chuckled again, blue eyes sparkling “ah Mr. Mollymauk, I apologize for my cruelty” 

Molly felt his chest do that weird constricting thing again (“maybe I should see a doctor about that...” he thought absently) as he looked at Caleb cheeky grin. 

“aw Mr. Caleb, I could never stay mad at you darling” he stood and stretched “but I do need to head into work unfortunately” 

He went to reach for some of the takeout containers, only to be stopped by Caleb's warm hand on his, he looked down curiously 

“Let me get those, you head to work” Caleb smiled up at him from where he was still seated cross legged on the ground. Molly couldn’t help but smile back, he leaned in and pressed a swift kiss to Caleb’s forehead, stepping around him immediately after 

“Thanks darling! I’ll see you when you get home tomorrow!” 

He grabbed his bag, pulled on his more comfortable boots and warmer coat and he positively _dashed_ out the door. 

\---- 

Molly rolled out of bed just after 2pm the next day, he had closed out the bar and then met with Jester and Fjord for more drinking at Fjords place. He grabbed his clothes for the day: a pair of leather pants and a deep blue sleeveless v-neck shirt, setting them out on his bed. Then grabbed his towel, phone and little Bluetooth speakers. He walked in his pj pants over to the kitchen, setting the coffee pot before heading to the bathroom for a nice hot shower. He threw on an upbeat musical soundtrack with a lot of power ballads and bass. Singing along as he got in the shower. 

He was finally getting out nearly 40 minutes later, still belting out the lyrics to his favourite songs when he thought he heard the door open and shut. He wrapped his towel around his waist and put in his leave in hair oil, and oiled his horns. He threw open the door of the bathroom right on the crescendo of the song, one arm thrown up in his most dramatic way. Smirking as he caught sight of Caleb staring at him from over the kitchen island. The gingers cheeks were bright pink and his mouth parted in a gasp, one hand paused mid-reach for a glass of water. Molly smiled, flashing his fangs at his flustered room-mate. Caleb really was just too easy to mess with. 

“You must be Mollymauk” came an unfamiliar voice from the living room. 

Molly felt his smile flicker briefly before he turned and took a dramatic bow, looking up and taking in the man in front of him. A tall, _very_ handsome drow with short, well-groomed white hair, and silvery-lilac eyes. He was well dressed in clearly tailored black pants and a deep purple turtle neck. His long ears sported delicate silver piercings, including one spectacular diamond dangling from the tip. One perfect white eyebrow was raised in either question or amusement, Molly couldn’t tell 

“The one and only!” He stood up, one hand on his hip and a matching raised eyebrow “and who might _you_ be? Darling Caleb didn’t mention that we were having company” he waved his free hand to highlight his partial nudity “I might have dressed more appropriately” 

Caleb laughed from behind him and he turned before the drow could answer to smirk playfully at Caleb 

“And what exactly is so funny dear?” 

“When have you ever done _anything_ appropriate Mollymauk?” Caleb asked between chuckles. 

Molly just winked at him, sticking out his tongue. 

There was a pointed cough from behind them (“oh, right...” thought Molly) and Caleb jumped slightly, looking over to the drow man. 

“Ah- _tut_ _mir_ _leid_ _,_ Mollymauk” he held out a hand, palm up towards the visitor “this is Essek of Den Thelyss, from my History of Exandria course” He waved the hand over to Molly “and Essek, this is Mollymauk, he is my room-mate and good friend” He turned to Molly again “I am sorry though Mollymauk, I meant to let you know we would be working here tonight” he looked so genuinely sorry that Molly felt his chest do that weird thing again. 

“Oh, darling don’t worry, of course I don’t mind” Molly looked back over at the other man, raising an eyebrow again “so you’re the one Veth and Jester call Hot Boi?” 

Essek looked taken aback and Molly saw Caleb put his hand over his face out of the corner of his eye, but it was worth it to crack what Molly assumed was the drows’ very well-crafted pokerface. 

“I am... not going to even try to understand that statement” 

“That is the best option” Caleb said with a sigh. 

Molly smirked and walked into his room, shutting the door. He got dressed, adding his usual jewelry and contemplating his makeup. He ended up deciding on a blue eyeshadow that was a near perfect match for his shirt, with sharp black eyeliner and a lip-gloss that gave his lips that ’just finished making out’ look. While he was doing it, he listened to the sounds of the two out in the main room. He had decided that he definitely did _not_ like “Hot Boi”. Sure, he was handsome, but he seemed too stuck up to be hanging around with Caleb. 

As an afterthought he grabbed a delicate silver necklace with a moon pendant that Yasha had picked up for him at some far-away market. 

He stepped out of his room, grabbing the blue silk scarf with the moons, stars and zodiac signs off the back of Caleb's reading chair and tying it around his hips. The other two were seated at the kitchen island, glasses of water a safe distance from the stacks of papers and the two laptops set up there. Caleb looked up and offered him a small smile, which he gladly returned. 

“I’ll be home around 2, so I’ll try to be as quiet as I can okay dear?” he asked as he walked behind them, dropping a light kiss on the top of Caleb's head. His hair smelled like cinnamon and campfire smoke. 

“Ah- _sicherlich_ _-_ sorry, sure Molly, I’ll see you in the morning if you’re up” 

Molly tried not to smirk, he loved when his teasing made Caleb switch to Zemnian, it was cute. He was at the door now, and he caught Essek’s eye as he responded 

“Oh, I’ll be up dear, don’t you worry” He pulled on his coat and boots, waved at Caleb and called out “Nice to meet you Thelyss” 

“And you” came the lightly accented voice as he shut the door behind him. 

No, Molly did _not_ like that man. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it folx! Molly doesn't like Essek, but he does like Caleb's classic movie knowledge (and secret addiction). The next few chapters are going to build up to some more backstory stuff, so please enjoy Molly shenanigans while you can >:D
> 
> Zemnian:  
> meine katze - my cat  
> tut mir leid - I am sorry  
> sicherlich - certainly
> 
> oh, I'm on Tumblr too https://bit.ly/PixiePosts


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh! Here Comes Trouble!  
> Molly is a Good Friend!

Part One: Caleb

Caleb sighed, it was 8am on  Folsen morning, the week had gone surprisingly well, but for some reason he was nervous. He had woken up to the sound of  Mollymauk singing softly in the kitchen, which was a new habit he had picked up this past week. Caleb didn’t mind it,  Mollymauk was always good about picking soft songs for the morning, so the sound wasn’t what actually woke him. It was still odd though, ever since  Essek had come over to work on  Grissen ,  Mollymauk had been getting up early to eat breakfast with him. He stretched, climbed out of bed and ran his hands through his hair a few times. Once it was at least mostly knot-free, he tied it back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He pulled on a loose long sleeve shirt and walked out of his room.

Molly turned and smiled at him, all red eyes and a happily swishing tail 

“Good morning dear! Hope I didn’t wake you?”

“ _ Nein _ Mollymauk , not at all” he smiled back, still sleepy and headed for the coffee maker. 

These easy mornings were nice, Caleb couldn’t help but hope they continued. He wasn’t sure how  Mollymauk was getting up this early, especially on days after he worked at the bar, but Caleb wasn’t going to complain. Side by side they threw together a breakfast of eggs, toast and coffee, sitting side-by-side at the kitchen island. 

As they ate the chatted about their day, Caleb only had class and then his usual shift at the library. He told  Mollymauk all about the workload he had piled up before the end of the semester. Two of his five final papers were done, and he was nearly done two more, leaving one that still needed a lot of work.  Mollymauk talked about a song they had debuted the week before, mentioning changes he was thinking of making. Caleb was pleasantly surprised when  Mollymauk asked for his opinion, singing lines and humming chords over the food. Caleb tried his best, giving his opinion freely. 

By the time he had to leave to catch the bus, he was in a great mood. He took his travel mug and sat down comfortably in a seat close to the doors. He made it to campus with plenty of time, so he walked slowly, enjoying the changing leaves and autumn breeze. Caleb couldn’t help but feel lucky, he had wonderful friends, a comfortable home, good grades and he woke up to singing more often  than not. 

He was walking through the campus when he heard it. A snippet of Zemnian. 

That wouldn’t have been so bad... if he hadn’t known the voice. Deep down in his very bones.

He stopped, horror filling his mind as he whipped around, ignoring the confused looks of people around him. There. There in the crowd was a flash of  close-cropped brown hair and cold brown eyes. Coupled with that all too familiar voice. 

Caleb felt his heart skip a beat as fear tore through him.

He ran. 

He ran all the way to his class, sat down and did not speak.  Essek seemed confused by his sudden coolness, his one-word answers, but he couldn’t bring himself to apologize. All he could think of was  _ her.  _ Why was she here? How had she found him? 

How fast did he need to leave? 

_ Could  _ he even make himself leave? 

If he left now, he would be leaving completely alone. Veth couldn’t come with him this time, he wouldn’t take her from  Yeza and her future here. Could he do it? Leave when things were really looking up? 

Without taking a single note, he found himself being buffeted out of the lecture hall. He got to the cafeteria by sheer muscle memory alone. He did not get lunch. 

Fjord sat across from him, and it took Caleb several minutes to realize his friend was speaking to him. 

“- leb ? You okay man?”

“Hm? Oh...” he shook his head, looking around furtively “I am sorry Fjord, I had something else on my mind...” he looked around, ears straining for any hint of the familiar accent

Fjord looked concerned, raising a dark eyebrow and reaching across the table. Caleb jumped when the larger hand came to rest on his.

“Are you okay? You seem nervous... can I help?” 

The concern in Fjords voice struck a  chord , but Caleb couldn’t grasp it long enough to react properly, so he just shook his head. He couldn’t focus, he had to stay alert. 

“I am fine, just a bit distracted”

“Caleb.”

Caleb jumped at Fjords serious voice. He looked into the amber eyes and sighed

“I... I just have a lot on my mind, lots of work for class” he forced a smile, though he knew it was a thin, pained thing “please do not worry”

Fjord didn’t seem convinced, but the rest of lunch went by without him trying to pry. Caleb kept an eye out the whole time, sipping occasionally on his now-cold coffee.

He stopped for coffee as usual on the way to the library, grabbing a muffin for Beauregard with their coffees. When he got to the desk, he dropped her coffee and muffin and immediately went into the stacks to hide. He knew if he stayed there, she would pull it out of him. That, and the desk was far too public. At least in the stacks he could hide. 

He spent the entire shift on the move, refusing to sit down for more than a moment. When the shift  ended, he evaded  Beauregard's questions, saying that the students had made a much bigger mess of the stacks  than usual. If she was suspicious, she didn’t say anything about it. As they got off the bus she asked if he was coming to the bar, he made an excuse about needing to finish homework, his eyes  darting between the shadows. He had to get inside, get within the apartment's wards. She sighed and told him to stop being such a nerd, but headed down the road on her own.

Caleb went home, making extra sure that the door was locked before throwing himself into his work. By the time he was exhausted enough that he thought he might sleep it was nearly midnight. He changed into pajama pants, not bothering to take his hair out of the low ponytail, and passed out cold. 

Part Two: Molly

The last month had been a comfortable blur for Molly. He learned quickly that Caleb lived by the schedule he had printed out and pinned to the fridge. Every day followed the same routine for him, get up (a few hours after Molly went to bed), make breakfast (with Molly recently), go to class/work, come home, have dinner (with Molly, and sometimes their friends) and then Molly would go to work and Caleb would stay up far too late doing homework or reading. Every Folsen Beau would show up at the bar, and recently Caleb would be there with her. Molly loved it, it felt like some kind of bonding  exercise , though he wasn’t sure why. 

Molly was loving having a place to invite their friends on his nights off, Beau and Jester were over all the time now. Especially since  Yasha had left a week ago. Molly was still hurting, but the storms had calmed and he knew she would be home soon, then they could have a proper sleep over. Just like the old days, but much more comfortable. 

Caleb didn’t show up to the bar that Folsen, which was fine, Molly knew that school had been ramping up for him. Molly had noticed the stacks of notes getting higher and higher on his desk recently, and the coffee pot that almost always had coffee in it. The winter holidays were only about a month away, Beau had mentioned they started the Folsen  before something called “ Winterscrest ”. Beau had explained that it was a yearly holiday in the northern parts of the Empire.  Apparently, it was mainly a gift-giving event, with huge family dinners and lots of “super annoying” music (in Beaus words). They even cut down trees to bring inside and decorate. Molly was planning to ask Caleb if they could have one, it sounded  sparkly and fun.

The show still went wonderfully, they had really made a name for themselves  among the college crowd. He was a bit nervous about what the holidays would mean for shows, since his pay came from the door fees, but he had money saved up. Molly sauntered over to the bar after the set and smiled at Beau and Jester.

“Evening lovely lady, and you too Unpleasant One!”

Jester snickered and Beau rolled her eyes, but he could see her trying not to smile. 

“You guys were  soooo great Molly!” Jester said happily “I think you get better every single time I see you!” 

He took a bow before hopping up onto a stool beside her, he leaned forward slightly 

“No Caleb again tonight?”

“ah, nah, he said he had a ton of work to do but told me to say hi... as if you idiots don’t like, live in the same damn apartment or whatever” 

He smirked at her, shrugging “ah well, tell him thanks for  me, will you?” 

She threw a  balled-up napkin at him. 

“Fjord said that Caleb seemed jumpy today at lunch” Jester said conversationally, sipping on her Shirly Temple “kept looking around and stuff”

Beau shrugged “yeah, he was like that at work too, but it’s probably just all that work catching up with him. Damn idiot refused to take less than a full course load, he’s too smart for his own good” 

Molly and Jester both hummed in agreement, sipping at their respective drinks.

The next few hours leading up to close were nice, they chatted about school and work, and Jester talked about all the weird  injuries she had been dealing with in her medical courses. They closed down the bar and all walked home together, Molly blew Jester a kiss and flipped Beau off (affectionately) as he got out of the elevator on his floor. He still loved the feeling of unlocking the door to the apartment, he didn’t think there was much chance of that feeling fading for a good long while. Opening the door as quietly as he could, he slipped off his boots and coat and padded into the kitchen for a glass of water before bed.

To his surprise,  Frumpkin was sitting on the counter by the fridge, staring at him. He raised an eyebrow at the little  fae cat and reached out to scratch under his chin. 

“What are you doing out here Frumpy?” he whispered to the cat “you’re usually in with your daddy by now” 

The cat narrowed his eyes and twitched his tail in a way that Molly’s  Tiefling mind recognized. 

Distress?

He tilted his head at the cat, not understanding what could be upsetting him. 

“What’s the matter kitty? Do you need help with something?” 

At this,  Frumpkin stood, and hopped off the counter, walking towards Caleb’s room. Molly watched curiously as the cat stopped right in front of the partially open door and turned to look at him, flicking his tail again. Molly hummed in concern and put down his glass quietly. Caleb didn’t like people going into his room, but if there was something wrong... Thinking about what Jester and Beau had said about Caleb acting strangely that day, Molly walked over, as silently as he could, and stooped down to look at Frumpkin again. He raised an eyebrow and mimicked the way the  cats' tail had flicked with his own.  Frumpkin stood and walked slowly into the room, luminous eyes looking back at him from the dark. 

As Molly got to the  door, he heard it... ragged uneven breathing. He didn’t stop to think, instead he pushed the door open just enough that he could see inside. 

There, sitting curled up with his back against his bed, arms around his knees and nails digging into his own forearms, was Caleb. His eyes seemed to flash in the dark and he sat completely still, clearly trying to control his breathing. His hair was a wild mess of auburn tangles, he clearly hadn’t taken it out before bed, and the sheets on the bed behind him were tossed about in a disarray Molly would never have imagined Caleb capable of. Molly felt his heart  seize; he knew this picture all too well. 

He walked forward, crouching low and moving slowly, before dropping to his knees in front of Caleb. He reached out, just as slow and put his  hands on Caleb's own, gently as he could. Caleb still jumped, and Molly frowned.

“Hey there darling” he said softly “why don’t we just relax these a little bit hm?” He wrapped his hands around each of  Caleb's , loosening the  man's death grip.  Caleb's nails had left small red cuts in his skin, but the movement seemed to get his attention. Wide blue eyes stared up into Molly’s, they were much darker in the low light of the room, and hazy with sleep and panic.

“M- Mollymauk ?” he whispered, as though he wasn’t sure if he could trust his own eyes

Molly nodded, putting a soft smile on his face and still speaking as gently as he could.

“That’s right dear, the one and only” he paused, watching  Caleb's eyes focus in on him a bit more “do you want to tell me where you were just now?”

Caleb shook his head, grimacing as if the action had hurt

“That’s alright” Molly said “how about we just sit for a bit, okay?” he squeezed Caleb’s hands lightly, still smiling as his red eyes searched the blue “take your time, just breathe with me alright dear?” 

Molly exaggerated breathing deep and slow, watching as Caleb slowly started to  mimic him. It took a few minutes, but Molly watched as Caleb’s eyes refocused and he came back to himself. He saw the look of mild confusion cross  Caleb's face right before the human's cheeks were dusted with pink. Molly nodded happily at him

“There you are darling, I’m glad you’re back” 

Caleb blushed darker and stuttered out quietly “M- Mollymauk I... I’m sorry, I did not mean for you to ah... find me like this” he looked away, clearly  embarrassed . 

Molly shook his head, charms jingly slightly “no need to apologize dear, it happens to the best of us” 

Caleb looked unconvinced, but didn’t say anything. Molly had the feeling he was trying to figure out exactly  _ what _ to say, so he piped up first.

“I used to have panic attacks all the time you know, after my accident. Nightmares too” he paused, looking down at their joined hands for a moment before looking back into Caleb’s eyes “If  Yasha hadn’t been there, I don’t know how I would have gotten through them” 

Caleb nodded slowly before saying, his voice barely a whisper “she is a good friend,  Yasha . She cares for you very much” 

Molly smiled brightly “oh absolutely, she’s a real charm” he  squeezed Caleb's hands once more “you have good friends too Mr. Caleb, we want to be there for you, if you’ll let us”

Caleb seemed to notice their hands now, the blush returning to his cheeks, but to  Molly's surprise he didn’t let go. Instead,  Caleb's posture relaxed and he stretched his legs out so they lay on either side of Molly. Molly watched as Caleb took a deep breath. 

“Please do not tell Beauregard or Veth about this? I promised I would call them... but it all happened rather suddenly and I... I didn’t have time” 

Molly pulled Caleb right hand up, pressing a light kiss to the knuckles and smiling at him as the other man’s cheeks flared again.

“Our little secret, promise”

Caleb nodded, looking nervous still

“Do you know what caused it?” Caleb looked up, shocked, but Molly only smiled “it can help if you know what brought it on... was it a nightmare?” 

“Oh...” Caleb paused, looking down at their joined hands, but not pulling his away. Molly sat  patiently; these things took time. 

“I...”  Caleb's voice was barely a whisper “I thought I saw someone from my past today” (“oh.” thought Molly, instantly on edge) “I managed to get through my shift... and I-I thought I was ah... _ beruhigt...  _ calm enough to sleep...” he trailed off, looking frustrated now. Molly understood that too, the frustration that came from being trapped in your own mind.

“Well” Molly paused for Caleb to look up “is this person... don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but are they dangerous?” Caleb looked shocked again, blue eyes wide in the low light, Molly rushed on “I just mean, are they someone we need to look out for? You don’t have to give me details or anything!” the fear in  Caleb's eyes was mounting with every word “I just want to make sure you’re okay is all” 

Molly watched Caleb swallow, eyes still so wide and fearful, before the man seemed to crumble in on himself. 

“I... think it is okay right now” he paused, looking down at his lap “I do not even know if it was really her, after all” Caleb looked at him then, deep blue eyes conflicted “if... if it gets to a point that I am certain it is who I thought, I will tell you” to  Molly's surprise, he felt Caleb  squeeze his hands “I promise.” 

Molly just nodded, if it was this important... Molly knew something about having dangerous people in your past. The more they knew, the better they could look out for their wizard.  But if Caleb wasn’t ready to share the information yet... He certainly wouldn’t push. He was deeply aware of  Caleb's hands still held in his, this was the longest that the other man had allowed Molly to hold them. He knew however, that after a panic attack like this, he would need his sleep. Molly took a deep breath and smiled as gently as he could, keeping his voice soft.

“Alright then dear, why don’t I grab you a glass of water while you settle in? Then you should try to get some sleep hm?”

Caleb nodded, and Molly gently untangled their fingers. He could have sworn he saw reluctance in those sad eyes, but Caleb pulled himself up onto the edge of the bed and reached for his phone. Molly stood up and walked back into the kitchen, leaving Caleb's door open, and started pouring two glasses of water. While he waited for the tap to get nice and cold, he pulled out his phone

** Molly: ** Yash,  plzzzz say  youll be home soon?

** Yasha ** : I’m almost home now Molly, everything ok?

** Molly ** : not sure,  im fine  tho

** Yasha ** : ok  💜

Molly took the cold glasses into Caleb’s room, Caleb looked like he was just finishing a message so Molly simply stood and waited. Caleb looked  up; Molly was pleased to see that the other man’s eyes didn’t look nearly as glassy now. He stepped closer and held out the water, taking a sip from his own glass once Caleb took it.

“ _ Danke _ __ Molly” his voice was still rough, Molly just smiled 

“It’s no problem, darling” there was that light flush across Caleb’s nose again.  Too cute.

“I am... sorry you saw me like that. Again” Molly could hear the bitterness  underneath the  embarrassment . Caleb didn’t like showing his emotions like that, Molly had realized that early on, and it hurt to see his friend so down. 

“Don’t be” he stepped closer to the bed, tilting his head curiously, Caleb nodded and shuffled over a bit so Molly could sit next to him “I’m glad I could be here.” Caleb looked over, clearly unsure.

“I mean, I’m glad you didn’t have to sit here alone in the dark... it’s better to have someone with you” he shrugged “I’m just glad I could try and make it a bit less lonely is all” Molly rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort. It was unusual for him to be lost for words, but he didn’t know how to explain this without going into his whole sordid history. To his surprise, he felt Caleb shift closer so that they were pressed together at the shoulders, hips, and thighs. Molly peeked over out of the corner of his eye and saw Caleb still looking resolutely at his own lap, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. Molly smiled, understanding that this for what it was. A thank you, silent and uncertain, but sweet all the same. 

He leaned into the contact, sipping quietly at his water. They sat there for a while longer, until they had both finished their drinks, at which point Molly reached over and gently tugged the empty glass from  Caleb's hand. 

“Sleep time dear” he said softly, Caleb looked over at him, watching as he stood up, and nodded. Molly waited until the ginger was laying down under the blankets with  Frumpkin curled against his back before walking out of the room. Molly didn’t close the door when he went back to the kitchen, he rinsed out the glasses and set them in the drying rack, looking over at the clock on the microwave.

3:54am

He yawned and stretched, damn it had been a long day. He wandered over to his room, leaving the door cracked open just in case. He pulled off his clothes and tossed them in the direction of the hamper, pulling out a comfortable pair of  pj pants. He sat at the vanity and removed all the  jewelry from his horns before finally,  _ finally  _ going to lay down. He set an alarm for 9am, figuring that was a reasonable time to be up, and passed out the moment his head hit the pillows. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quen'pillar 10th: Molly and Caleb meet, Caleb invites Molly to move in   
> Quen'pillar 11th-16th: Molly texts Caleb almost every day, Caleb only responds to direct questions, Veth finishes packing and moving out. Caleb has classes.   
> Quen'pillar 17th: Molly moves in!   
> This chapter starts on Cuersaar 18th, just about a month into room-mate-ness


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasha is home! Sleepovers are Fun! Caleb + Coffee is the Real OTP!

Part One: Caleb

Caleb woke up the next morning to his phone beeping loudly at him, he rolled over and flipped it open, squinting at the screen. 

** Jester:  ** Caleb!~ I know ur busy this weekend, but you HAVE 2 come  shoppin w Veth, Beau and Me on Grissen okaaaaay? 😗

Caleb sighed, he had too much to do this weekend, but he had no plans after class on  Grissen ... and he could usually get Jester to agree to bookstores.

** Caleb ** : okay, I can join you after my class.  Food court dinner?

** Jester ** : YES!  Im so  xcited ~ 💙💙💙💙 💙

He shut the phone, plugging it in when he realized he hadn’t done that the night before. 

He winced as the nights... activities (for lack of a better word) came back to him. The nightmare had been awful, they were always awful, flames and smoke and cold, cruel laughter. But last night... last night  _ her _ voice had peppered the dream. A voice he still heard taunting him in the back of his mind on his bad days. He laid back on the bed, one arm thrown over his closed eyes.

_ You’re weak Bren. You’ve always been weak. I don’t know what Master  _ _ Ikithon _ _ sees in you, pathetic little crybaby that you are _

He shivered again.

_ The fire and smoke filled his vision, heat pouring off the sweet wooden cottage. Cold hands had gripped his wrists when he fell, screaming to the ground. His Masters cold cruel laughter filling his ears, mixing with  _ **_ hers.  _ ** _ They had crouched down then, the two students, holding hands and smiling at him, backlit by flames... _

He wrenched his eyes open, jolting upright in bed. He had to check the wards. 

He started with the ones around his bedroom window, making sure none of the  sigils he had drawn had faded or been removed. Satisfied, he stood, and walked briskly into the living room, he checked the window and the sliding door that lead outside. The bathroom next, those were fine too... but he resolved to carve them in, the steam from the shower made him nervous. All that was left was  Mollymauks’s room. He paused outside the door, listening for sounds of life. It was only 8:30, Mollymauk was probably asleep still. He couldn’t bring himself to knock, so instead he checked the sigils around the front door and forced himself to make coffee. 

Once it was done, he took the mug and paced the living room like a man possessed. He  _ needed _ to check Mollymauks’s window. There could absolutely not be any breaks in the protection around the apartment, not now.

He knew he had told  Mollymauk that it probably hadn’t been her, that he didn’t see any reason to worry the others... but he also knew that he had lied. He knew what he had heard and seen, and if she had found him... the others couldn’t be far away. There was no reason to worry the others yet, she hadn’t gotten close, she hadn’t contacted him. He had time, time to do what he didn’t know, but he had time. 

As he  paced, he heard a cheerful beeping from behind the closed door to  Mollymauks room. He continued pacing while he waited for his friend to leave the room. Balcony door, his door, kitchen island, balcony door. Over and over. Twenty minutes passed before  Mollymauk walked out, stretching and looking sleepy and comfortable.  Mollymauk yawned and stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of Caleb. 

Caleb knew he must look crazy, his hair was half undone and he was still in his  pj pants with no socks, and the shirt he had thrown on for bed the night before. He hadn’t showered or shaved, and he was sure his eyes were wild. 

He didn’t care.

He walked over to  Mollymauk , the act of stopping in front of him was almost too much.

“I need to check your window” 

Mollymauk looked completely confused, looking Caleb up and down before settling, concerned, on his eyes

“...good morning to you too” he paused, unsure “is everything... okay?”

Caleb  just shrugged; it was a jerky movement that felt odd as he forced it. 

“May I go and check your window please?”  Mollymauk nodded, stepping to the side to let Caleb into his room. 

Caleb stepped past him, the room barely registering as more that  colours and shapes as he went to the window. The sigils were all in place, though one or two had started to fade Caleb realized with a jolt. He rushed out of the room, not hearing what  Mollymauk said as he moved past. Caleb grabbed his component pouch, pulled out the expensive chalks and rushed back to Mollymauks room. 

He spent the next 10 minutes carefully re-drawing all the sigils, just in case. 

He felt his heartrate slow as the thrum of magic indicating the sigils were active pulsed through him. He took a deep breath,  subconsciously noting that the whole room smelled like jasmine and patchouli, before he got up and walked back out of the room.  Mollymauk had moved over to the kitchen island, where he was now sipping at a mug of coffee with a very concerned look on his face. 

“ Mollymauk I-” but  Mollymauk held up a hand before beckoning Caleb over. Caleb walked slowly to the island and sat down in the empty seat

“Darling... you had a rough night, and I know that you probably don’t want to talk about it...” he paused, worrying his lower lip and clearly searching  Caleb's face for something “but it clearly upset you more than you let on”

Caleb looked down, reaching for the now cold cup of black coffee he had left there during his frantic checking of Mollymauk’s room. 

“I... I do not want to lie to you  Mollymauk , it did ah...shake me up a bit” He took a sip of the coffee, not noticing the taste “I just wanted to make sure that the wards were still up...” he trailed off, flushing slightly. Now that the adrenalin had run  its course, he felt a bit ridiculous. Even if he  _ had _ seen Astrid, even if she was in the city, he would have known if the wards had been breached. That was the whole point of them, after all.  Mollymauk’s worried face just made him feel worse, the furrowed brown and downturned lips didn’t suit the  Tieflings usually jovial face. He took a deep breath before looking up into the red eyes, forcing himself to maintain the eye contact.

“I am sorry Mollymauk, I’m afraid I let my nerves get the better of me. I did not mean to startle you”

Mollymauk’s expression softened, and he smiled kindly at Caleb, reaching out and patting his hand. Caleb didn’t mind the light  contact; he had gotten used to  Mollymauk’s affectionate nature. 

“It’s alright Caleb just... if you need help, tell me okay?” Caleb nodded, breaking the eye contact gratefully. 

“Do you have work today?” the other  man's voice was soft still, kind. 

“ _ Nein _ , I took the weekend off to finish my last two essays”

Mollymauk stood, taking the cold coffee from  Caleb's hand gently and walking over to the sink with it. 

“Well, why don’t you go get your shower in, get comfy, and I'll make some breakfast?” he turned and smiled at Caleb “then you can get some work down while I keep you company like the lazy housecat I am” he winked, tail swishing behind him playfully.

Caleb couldn’t help but smile as he got up. He walked back to his room, pulled out a clean towel, his  favourite grey sweatpants, and a comfortably worn black shirt. Nothing tight, nothing constricting. He took all of this to the washroom, settling the clothes on the counter and kicking his old clothes over to the corner. A shower was just what he needed, hot water and soap to wash away the last of the nightmare. 

10 minutes later, standing under the hot water after washing his hair, he stared at the  old-fashioned tiles of the shower wall. Every time he shut his  eyes; all he could see was her face. Cold brown eyes and a malicious grin, cruel laughter and flames... He couldn’t banish the image, the sounds, the smells... He finally gave up, settling on the mild comfort of being clean and his heartrate only being slightly above average. He stepped out of the shower, dried off and brushed out his hair. He had opened the window before getting in the shower so it wasn’t too steamed up for him to get dressed.  Mollymauk might be comfortable walking around half naked, but he certainly wasn’t. 

He stepped out and couldn’t help but smile,  Mollymauk had brought toast and scrambled eggs into the living room and was just re-filling  Caleb's favourite cat mug (“#1 Cat Daddy”, a gift from Jester last  Winterscrest , which she had gotten customized with  Frumpkins pawprints).  Mollymauk stirred the coffee before handing it over, tossing the spoon into the sink behind him. Caleb walked forward, taking the mug with a quiet “ _ danke _ _ ”  _ before following Mollymauk into the living room.

“I saved that channel with the old movies on it, I figured we could throw one on while we eat”

“That sounds good” Caleb smiled again, plopping down on the couch and grabbing a piece of toast while Molly got the TV going. He wasn’t really hungry, he never was after nightmares, but he nibbled anyway. He spent an hour there, the two of them sitting in comfortable silence, watching as the old-world actors made wild speeches.  Mollymauk occasionally commented on his “absolute need” for the jewelry that the actresses wore, and how the suits were “ absolutely delicious” on the actors. Caleb smiled, making  noncommittal noises and just enjoying the calm. 

His phone went off at one point, and he felt himself perk up when he saw Veth’s name... before immediately feeling guilty. He had promised to keep her in the loop, call her if he needed help...

** Veth ** : Caleb! Jessie says you’re coming shopping? Are you still going to class that day?? DON’T SKIP CLASS

** Veth ** : YOUR EDUCATION IS VERY IMPORTAANT! (youcanreplytothismessage)

He smiled fondly at the screen

** Caleb ** : I am going to class first  _ liebling _ __ do not worry, but  yes, I will be coming shopping with you. I have missed you lately

** Veth ** : I miss you too Cay  💛  We should have a movie night, I’ll bring whiskey! 

** Caleb ** : That would be wonderful, we will plan on  Grissen okay? 

He  sighed; he hadn’t told her... he didn’t want to worry her  unnecessarily . He would talk to her when they went out. He looked up to see  Mollymauk looking at him curiously

“All good?”

“Ah, yes, it was Veth.” he paused, rolling his eyes in a good-natured way “I have been roped into shopping on  Grissen , and she wanted to be sure I was not going to skip class for it”

Mollymauk burst out laughing at that, Caleb tried to glare at him, but couldn’t quite manage it

“I don’t think all the devils from the nine hells could stop you from going to class Mr. Caleb” he said, shaking his head.

Caleb just smirked “You are probably right”

Caleb finally brought out his laptop soon after, Veth’s voice in his head reminding him how important it was that he work hard (“you’re too damn smart not to use it!” she had argued when she asked him to take the entrance exam so long ago). He smiled when  Mollymauk asked about the TV and told him it was no trouble, and then settled in to work. He had all of his sources and researching sorted, now it was just editing and finishing touches. Hopefully he would be done by tomorrow and he would be able to go into the new week with only classwork to worry about. 

Caleb had always found the ability to block out ambient noise helpful. He would get so into his work that nothing else around him mattered, it was especially nice when he had so many things he wanted to avoid thinking of. The movies in the background had long ago become a comforting hum, and Mollymauks inability to sit still was just another comfort. He had grown used to the Tiefling constantly moving about the place since he moved in. He was just saving the final draft of one paper when he realized that Mollymauk was standing in front of him. He looked up curiously and the Tiefling smiled down, holding out a fresh cup of coffee.

“ Gotta keep that big brain going”  Mollymauk teased as Caleb took the mug, before sitting himself back down on the couch with his own fresh cup. 

Caleb smiled, took a sip and resumed his writing.  Frumpkin had joined them at some point, and was curled happily in  Mollymauks lap, purring up a storm. Caleb could hear  Mollymauk talking quietly to the cat, commenting on the movie as though  Frumpkin were speaking back. 

For the first time since his nightmare, he felt truly calm.

\----

That calm didn’t last however.  Mollymauk got a call from  Yasha around 3pm, saying she was home, and he grabbed a bag of clothes from his room and practically ran out the door. He told Caleb not to wait up, that he would probably spend the rest of the weekend there (“but hey! Now it’ll be extra quiet for you to get all your work done” he had said fondly, blowing Caleb a kiss as he left). 

Ah. Yes. Extra quiet.

Caleb sighed and turned up the TV just a bit, while  Frumpkin curled up in  Mollymauks abandoned spot on the couch. Caleb had continued to work, finding it harder and harder to focus until he finally gave up at 7. He put away his laptop and made his way back to the  living room . It was too quiet, too empty without the near constant movement that was  Mollymauk . Caleb had never thought he would  _ miss _ constant noise. 

He picked up his cellphone off the table, the little flashing light indicating a message

** Beauregard ** : Yo!  Yasha is back, we’re  gonna go to the bar! 

** Beauregard ** : I know ur working or w/e but come out for a bit anyway

** Beauregard ** : don’t be fuckin’  laaaaaaaame 💥 💥

Caleb thought about it, maybe that was exactly what he needed. He couldn’t focus anyway, so maybe going out with the others would be a good distraction... Unless...

No. 

There was no way she would be  there; he wasn’t even sure she had been on the campus (he lied to himself).

But if she was, and he  led her to his friends... his  _ family _ . If they got hurt in the crossfire because of him... 

He could feel himself starting to shake, the thought of any of them getting hurt because of him was too much. He couldn’t go through that again, no. 

** Caleb ** : I am sorry Beauregard, I can’t come. Please tell  Yasha hello for me

** Beauregard ** : boooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

He sighed, putting the phone down again. He wanted to be there, of course he did, but they were safer if he wasn’t there. He was safest here, with his wards and his protections... and if those somehow failed there was no one to get caught in the middle. He eyed his room, knowing he wouldn’t sleep much  tonight , and with a sigh, got up to make more coffee. 

He finally passed out around midnight, falling into bed fully dressed with his phone in his hand.

Part Two: Molly

Molly spent the whole weekend with  Yasha at her apartment. They spent the entire first night curled up by the ancient tv set, the baking shows that Jester had gotten  Yasha hooked on playing in the background while they talked.  Yasha told him all about the storms, they had taken her all the way to  Hupperdook (“you would love it  there Molly”) and the mountains beyond before turning her around and sending her back. 

“I think it was the last one for the season” she said quietly “can’t really take the bike out in the snowstorms... and they don’t feel the same anyway”

Molly nodded, braiding a new beaded string into her hair while she spoke. 

“I’ll be  honest Yash, I’m happy you’ll be home again... it never feels right when you’re gone” 

She leaned into him, and he didn’t need to see her face to know she was smiling. 

“I missed you too Molls, it’s good to be home”

Home. 

He sighed happily, because it was true. They had made a home here. After everything that had gone down two years ago... after everything that had happened with  _ him... _ They had a home. A home, and a family, and jobs...

“I like having a home Yash” he said, his voice quiet even in his own ears “and a family... It’s nice”

She hummed in agreement “they are good people, that’s why I don’t feel as nervous leaving you here with them” Molly giggled 

Molly told her all about what they had been up to. He talked about working, and how well the new song had gone over with the crowd at  Fletchings (with a brief pause to sing to it, and talk about  Yasha’s notes). He told her about  Essek , grimacing the whole time. 

“So why don’t you like him?”

He frowned

“I  dunno exactly... he just seems too stuck up to be hanging around Caleb” he glared at the TV,  thinking about the smug look the  drow had worn “I think he’s sketchy” 

“What about him is sketchy? I thought he was just a bit... bookish? Like Caleb”

Molly laughed, but it sounded bitter 

“No, he’s  _ nothing  _ like Caleb, Caleb is sweet and quiet and nerdy and super humble” He shook his head “ _ Thelyss _ seems like he’s just another pampered rich boy”

Yasha gave him a look that he couldn't quite figure out, but she shrugged “if you say so Molly” 

Speaking of Caleb...

“Hey Yash... remember when I used to get my nightmares? After... after the accident?”

Her back straightened and she turned to look at him, concern evident on her face. She reached out and took  Molly's hands in hers

“Are they back?” Molly couldn’t help but smile at the worry in her voice 

“no, no I haven’t had one in months” he paused, nervous “it’s... it’s Caleb actually...” 

He sighed, he felt bad talking about this without Caleb here, it felt like something he should keep secret. But this was  _ Yasha _ , he told her everything. And he was only bringing it up in case there was more he could do.

“There’s... I think there’s something from his past that’s stressing him out” he  thought for a moment “or someone, it sounded like a some _ one” _

He retold the story of coming home to find Caleb shaking and barely  cognizant . Of his far away stare and his insistence that Molly not tell Beau or Veth. His letting slip that he had “thought he saw” someone from his past... of the instant clutch of fear that had caused in Molly. 

“He says they’re not dangerous... or not  _ yet  _ anyway”

“not yet?”

“He didn’t say that specifically, but he said he would tell me if it really was the  person he thought it was...  So, I'm assuming that the actual  _ person _ is dangerous, but he’s not sure if they’re actually here?”

He looked at  Yasha , the confusion clear on his own face mirrored on hers

“I’m just worried that he’s taking risks he shouldn’t... he was trying to hide the panic attack, and the nightmare” He paused,  thinking about that morning “and he was  _ really _ freaked out this morning. He went around the apartment double checking locks and wards and he was twitchy all day” 

Yasha nodded slowly “well, you did a good thing Molly... at least now he knows you’re here if he needs you right?” She paused, thoughtful “sometimes people just need time to accept that others care about them”

He nodded, still unsure but not wanting to push it. 

They slowly went back to more relaxing topics. They ended up back at the bar with the rest of the group... all except Caleb. Even Veth came out,  Yezza smiling at her side. He felt like he ought to be worried, but the joy at having  Yasha back and being surrounded by people he loved pushed that all aside.

Well, that, and the drinks. 

\----

He spent the rest of the weekend in much the same way, holed up at  Yasha’s eating  junk food and watching cheesy TV, just enjoying having her home. Gus had given her the weekend off, after assuring her she would be working every night that week to make up for lost time. He felt a bit bad, leaving Caleb home alone...but Molly knew that Caleb had a lot to do, and having more time to focus could only be a good  thing right? 

\----

** Da’leysen **

10:32am

** Molly: ** hey Mr. Caleb! We're getting lunch out today, want 2 come?

1:47pm

** Molly: ** <image attached>

** Molly ** : hope ur having fun w/ ur paper! 

(the image is a selfie of  Yasha and Molly from an exaggerated top down angle,  Yasha is holding two giant smoothie cups and has a small smile on her face, Molly is holding up a peace sign and winking with his tongue out)

9:37 pm

** Molly ** : u ok dear? Did Frumpy eat you? 😼 🙀

2:36am

** Mr. Caleb ** : I am fine  Molly; my phone was on silent. I am glad you’re having fun

\----

** Miresen **

Molly stared at his phone, brow furrowed, it wasn’t like Caleb to completely ignore him. The wizard had too many people in his life who would freak out completely to have his phone on silent for a whole day usually... but maybe Molly was just being paranoid. Caleb had a lot of work to do after all, so maybe he turned off notifications so he could focus. 

Two-thirty in the morning was an odd time to be turning them back on though...

“You okay Molls?” 

He started slightly, turning to smile at  Yasha but not quite managing it

“I’m okay... I’m just worried about Caleb...”

“Did he not respond?”

“No, he did... but not until like 2:30am”

Yasha hummed in response, concern flashing in her eyes as well

“Maybe you should head home a bit early, see if you can catch him before work?”

“Good idea”

So, they lounged for the rest of the morning (Molly’s “good morning” text went without a response) and  Yasha dropped him home just after lunch. He could check in on Frumpy, get a shower and be ready for work. He got up to the apartment and felt the usual light tingle from the wards as he walked through the door. He looked around... nothing looked too different to how it had when he left on Yulisen... 

Frumpkin trotted up to him, tail swishing cheerfully as Molly stooped down to scratch between the cats’ ears.

“Hello Frumpy, did you take good care of your daddy while I was gone?”

Frumpkin ‘ mrrp’ed in response, walked off towards his water bowl while Molly dumped the clothes from his bag into his hamper. He wandered back out into the kitchen, the coffee pot had a few dregs left and  Caleb's cat mug was sitting in the drying rack. Molly dumped the cold coffee and washed out the pot, leaving it next to the mug. Caleb usually left more coffee in the pot when he left for class... maybe he only made a half pot since Molly hadn’t been there.

Molly grabbed some clothes for work from his wardrobe, and a nice fluffy towel from the linen closet, and headed for the shower. One thing he loved about this whole “Magic + Technology” thing they were so big on here in  Zadash , was the ever-present hot water. He had literally never run out since moving here, and it wasn't like he was taking quick showers by any means. He spent the rest of the afternoon doing his laundry in the (“frankly creepy” as Beau put it) on site laundry room in the basement of the building. He was just putting away his last load of clean clothes when he heard the apartment door open.

“Hello Mr. Caleb!” he called, walking into the main room “miss me?”

Caleb looked up, briefly shocked before a smile snapped into place 

“Ah hello  Mollymauk , I figured you would not be home until later” he hung up his coat and put away his boots, heading for the kitchen “did you have a good weekend with Yasha?”

Molly watched him go right for the cupboard and start making coffee, that was odd... 

“I did! She said this was the last big storm, so she should be home until spring now” he said as cheerfully as he could, walking over and leaning on the counter “I was thinking of throwing in a pizza, any preferences?”

Caleb shook his head, and Molly took the chance to study his face. Maybe it was just the few days away... but he seemed paler. Or at least, the bags around his eyes looked darker than usual. Molly hummed tunelessly as he set the oven to pre-heat and poked through the freezer (“perfect” he thought as he noticed the pineapple and ham pizza “Caleb’s  favourite ”). 

They stood in the kitchen while the oven heated up, Molly talked about  Yasha and her adventure. He told Caleb all about how she had gone out to  Hupperdook and how it sounded like a total party town. He gushed about the stuff he had bought while they were at lunch (“I  _ desperately _ needed a  warmer coat , this whole winter thing is rough!”). He talked about being excited to work with  Yasha again tonight, and anything else he could think of. He cooked and cut up the pizza during all of this, munching away while he talked.

Through it all, Caleb made noises of interest, responding occasionally, but he mostly just drank his coffee. In fact, he drank two. 

“You know you’ll never get any sleep if you drink that much coffee dear” 

Caleb smiled, but it didn’t warm his eyes like it usually did

“ Oh, I will be okay, I have a high tolerance and some work to do tonight”

Molly hummed in concern “okay... just, try to get some sleep okay? You work too hard” he leaned in and patted Caleb’s cheek  affectionately .

“I’m off to work, I’ll see you in the morning okay?”

Caleb nodded and waved as Molly walked out the door.

It wasn’t until he got to work that he realized he hadn’t seen Caleb take a single bite of food... but he had all night, it would be fine. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yasha is hooome, I love her. Caleb is still bad at asking for help, because he's Caleb.   
> Next chapter is Calebs weekend, and shopping! We all love a shopping episode right? Right??? Just me?   
> Oh welllllllll 
> 
> xo


	9. Chapter Nein

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NEIN!  
> Shopping! Minor Wedding Planning! Jester Is A Menace! Caleb Is A Sad Boi! 
> 
> I butcher Zemnian!

CHAPTER NEIN

Part One: Caleb

Caleb was exhausted.

He hadn’t slept more than 3 hours per night all weekend. He had thought, on  Yulisen evening, that he would be okay. Mollymauk had been a big help, and he had stayed up as long as possible and passed out  _ hard _ around midnight. 

But the nightmares had come back.

So, at 3:16am, he had woken up, fought through the fog of the nightmare, taken a shower and started drinking coffee. He had spent all of  Da’leysen morning working on his papers with the TV on just a bit too loud and  Frumpkin curled up against him. He had let his phone die again, so it was charging in his room. 

At 12:57pm, he had forced himself out of the house to go get groceries. He had his coats buttoned all the way up, with his scarf  wrapped high on his face, gloves and a thick slouchy hat. He had only grabbed a tin of coffee and some milk when he saw it. Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of pale skin and brown hair. Bared arms with scars all along them, a glimpse of cold brown eyes. 

He took what he had, ran through the self-checkout with his hands shaking so badly he was surprised he managed it at all. He then took the most circuitous route home possible, making several  unnecessary turns and sneaking through alleys he really had no reason being in. He got home, locked the door, the deadbolt and the chain (he hadn’t used anything more than the lock since their first week living there). He put the milk and coffee away, made a fresh pot and curled up on the couch, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. 

Frumpkin knew something was wrong,  Frumpkin _ always _ knew when something was wrong. They were connected after all. The sweet little  fae cat stayed with him all day, curled up in his lap or across the back of whichever chair Caleb found himself in. 

Near 6pm, after forcing himself to finish his papers and trying to distract himself in any way possible, he forced down a toaster waffle, despite his  stomach's protests. He then spent the rest of the night with a knife carving the protection sigils into the doorframes. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he would lose the  security deposit, but he really couldn’t find it in himself to care.

\----

Miresen began the same way as the days before it, around 3am with far too little sleep. Once he had calmed down enough, he got dressed and made a pot of coffee. He looked down at his phone, still plugged in, with the little light at the top blinking away. He opened it up and flinched, he had 3 messages from Veth, two from Jester, one from Fjord and three more from Molly ( including a selfie of the Tiefling and  Yasha out for lunch). He responded to them all with the same excuses of having left his phone on silent in order to work. No need to worry them. 

He spent the morning trying to watch whatever was on TV, but he really couldn’t focus enough to even figure out what was on. He left the house for class around 8:15, his heartrate increasing the moment he locked the door behind him. He knew he must look crazy, bundled up as much as he possibly  could be with his eyes scanning around him constantly. He hadn’t brought his  headphones; he couldn’t risk a distraction. 

His classes went by in a strange blur, time seemed to be dragging on but at the same time he could have sworn he just sat down for his History of  Exandria Seminar when he was suddenly walking to the cafeteria. Once there he took what felt like a few sips of his coffee and then he was walking to his Transmutation lecture an hour later. His last class went much the same way, one moment he was in the lecture hall, the next he was on the bus home. 

It was very disorienting.

He looked at his phone, and yes, it was 4:17 as the bus pulled up to his stop. Where had the day gone? He couldn’t remember any of it. 

He got upstairs, unlocked the door to the apartment and walked in, intent on another coffee to wake up his apparently sleeping brain. He jumped when he heard  Mollymauks voice, pasting a smile onto his face when he turned to look at his friend. 

He really was happy to have  Mollymauk back home, but his mind was too fuzzy to really focus right now. He walked over and started making coffee, making small talk the whole time.  Mollymauk started cooking, a pizza it looked like, and telling Caleb all about his weekend. It sounded like he and  Yasha had enjoyed their time together, and he was much more excited for work now. Caleb refilled his coffee while  Mollymauk cut up the pizza, munching on a few pieces while they talked. 

Caleb felt bad about it, but he really couldn’t follow the conversation. It didn’t look like  Mollymauk had noticed however, for which Caleb was grateful. 

Before long,  Mollymauk was patting his cheek in that affectionate way he sometimes did and heading for the door. Caleb smiled and waved him out, slumping against the counter as soon as the door clicked shut. He frowned, refilled his coffee for the third time, and ignoring the pizza on the counter grabbed the nearest book and settled in for a long night. 

\----

**_ Grissen _ **

Caleb woke with a start again at 3am, sat trying to force his exhausted mind back into reality for 48 minutes exactly, and then got up. His Magic and Technology class wasn’t until noon, he had a  _ lot _ of time to kill. He stopped at his bedroom door, uncertain.  Mollymauk was usually in bed by now, the bar closed at 2am  after all , he was usually home by 3am and he generally went right to bed. He couldn’t hear any movement, but still...

“Okay  _ katze _ _ ,  _ go take a look for me  _ ja _ ?” he said softly to Frumpkin. 

The cat meowed, and wandered out the door of his room. Caleb sat down, connecting his sight to his cat. The dark vision was always a weird experience, but as  Frumpkin made his way over to the front door it was clear that  Mollymauk was already home. His shoes and the new coat he had bought were both set by the door, and turning around,  Frumpkin could see that there was no light  beneath Mollymauks bedroom door. Caleb came back to himself, satisfied that  Mollymauk was asleep. He walked out of his room, headed for the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. He stared at the cold pizza from the night before, sitting in the fridge where he had somehow remembered to put it. He sighed, picked up and piece and forced himself to eat it while he waited for the coffee.

He spent the next few hours curled up with  Frumpkin in his reading chair, he cast dancing lights, making one warm amber  coloured globule float above him to read by.  He had already read this particular book, but until he got to the mall with the  girls, he really didn’t have anything new to go through. 

The idea of the mall made him nervous, but he had promised to go. The  likelihood that she would show up in such a crowded and public place was insanely slim anyway. He would just have to make sure that the group didn’t split up. Safety in numbers and all that. 

Mollymauk woke up at 10:49, walking out in his wildly coloured pajama pants and stretching.

“Go- ood morning Mr. Caleb” he yawned, waving as he poured himself a cup of coffee and walked over “have a good night?” 

Caleb looked up from the book and smiled,  Mollymauk had called himself a housecat the other day, but the similarity was most striking in the mornings. 

“ _ Ja _ , I got quite a bit done. How was work?” 

“Oh it was lovely, it’s  _ so _ much more fun now that Yash is back”

Caleb hummed in response, getting up to put away the book and go get his travel mug ready. 

“You’re going to the mall, today right?”  Mollymauk called from the living room

“ Mhmm , right after class” he looked back over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow “did you want to come with us? The girls certainly wouldn’t mind” 

Mollymauk shook his head “I’m hanging out with  Yasha again, we’re going to Caddy’s before work” 

“Ah, well if you think of anything you need, I will have my phone on”

“With the actual ringtone this time?”  Mollymauk teased, Caleb could hear the smirk. He looked back again and stuck his tongue out in response, prompting a bright laugh from his friend.

Before he knew it, he was on the bus to campus. The morning had been nice, but leaving the house still made him far too nervous. Luck seemed to be on his side however, as he got to class without any trouble. He was still having problems focussing the way he usually would, but he managed to jot down a few notes. He supposed he was lucky again in that the semester was almost over. Professors weren’t introducing new concepts this close to a holiday, just reviewing. 

He pulled out his phone as the class ended, smiling when he saw three new messages

** Beauregard: ** We’re @ the bus stop on campus hurry  uuuuuuup , I  want MALL TACOS  🌮 🌮

** Jester: ** Caylee~~b we’re waiting!!  💙💙 💙

** Veth: ** DON’T LEAVE EARLY but we’re here when ur done! ( dontreplytothismessage until class is over!)

He laughed, packing up the rest of his stuff and typing out a quick reply to Veth

** Caleb ** : Class is done, tell the others I am on the way

He thought about it for a moment before sending one to Beauregard too

** Caleb ** : the tacos at the mall are awful and will destroy your stomach. 

** Beauregard ** : JSGNDFKS RUDE.

The walk from his class to the bus was quick, and his friends were not hard to spot. Beauregard had decided to sit perched on the top of the bus shelter, while Jester had Veth up on her shoulders right below. Veth and Jester started waving wildly the moment they saw him, and Veth hopped down off of Jesters shoulders with her usual  roguish talent. 

“CALEB!” She yelled as she flung herself at him

He laughed, barely staying on his feet as he caught her for a hug

“Hallo Veth, it’s good to see you too” he said fondly, smiling at her. 

She  scrutinized his face, holding his cheeks between her palms and turning his head side to side. 

“You’re too pale, and I can tell you haven’t been eating enough. What have I told you?” she let go of his face only to glare and hold an accusing finger out at him “you  _ need _ food to keep you healthy. You can’t just live on coffee.”

Caleb put her down on the ground and she immediately put her hands on her hips, a  fiercely maternal frown on her face. 

He fought the urge to laugh, and instead held up his hands in an ‘I surrender’ pose

“I am sorry, I have been so busy is all”

“Well. You’re eating a  _ big _ lunch today, AND I’m sending you home with something for dinner. NO ARGUMENTS”

He just nodded, still smiling at her, gods he really had missed her.

“Hi Cay- leb !” Jester  said cheerfully, as she and Beauregard got to them “can I hug you?” 

Caleb smiled at her; Jester was always so good about checking for things like that. He very rarely said no to physical contact from the Nein anymore, but he appreciated her considerate nature. He nodded and she immediately wrapped him up in a nearly bone crushing hug. 

Beauregard punched his shoulder lightly when Jester let him go.

“ ’sup man? You look like death warmed over” 

“Gee, thank you so much Beauregard, how kind of you to notice” he deadpanned back to her, rubbing his shoulder. There would be a bruise there later, he just knew it.

The bus arrived, and they spent the ride to the mall catching Caleb up on their night at the bar with  Yasha and  Yezza (“He says hi by the way!” Veth had smiled at him). Apparently there had been some kind of fight between two other patrons, and  Beauregard had jumped in to “help” only to make it worse (“it’s not MY fault the idiot couldn’t take a punch, who starts a bar fight if they can’t even take a punch??”). Gustave had intervened, removing the original fighters and threatening the same for Beauregard if she didn’t sit back down. 

She had sat back down. 

They stood at the doors to the mall for a good twenty minutes before finally agreeing to start with shopping and  _ then _ get food, mainly because Jester complained that they would all be “too bloated to try things on properly!” otherwise. 

They hit a few clothing stores first, Jester pulling all sorts of wild outfits off the racks and convincing them all to try things on. Beauregard agreed to everything except the deep blue dress that Jester complained would look “ _ perfect” _ with  Beauregard's complexion. 

“I don’t do dresses Jess, you know that” 

“But Beaaaaaaau....”

That battle lasted until, by some fluke, Caleb had found a suit in the exact same shade, and pointed it out. Jester and Beauregard had both gotten  _ far _ too excited about it for Caleb to understand.

“OH! Veth!” Jester cried as they waited for Beauregard to come out of the changeroom “have you picked colours for the wedding yet?” 

Veth shook her head “ Yezza wants to have it in the summer, and I want gold or yellow accents, but that’s as far as we’ve gotten” 

“Okay but hear me out” came  Beauregard's voice as she stepped out of the changeroom and struck a pose “I  gotta wear this or something  _ really freaking close”  _

The wedding talk got them through the next two stores, Caleb was obviously very happy and excited for Veth and Yezza, but this sounded a lot like party planning. Jester was definitely better at that than he was, so he let the conversation wash over him. He did however agree immediately when Veth asked if he would be her ‘man-of-honour'. He was flattered, and told her so. It felt so good to be out and about with his friends, he hadn’t realized how much he had been missing them lately. 

As they left the third clothing store, Jester sidled up to him, her hands behind her back and a  mischievous smile on her face.

“ Soooooo Cayleb”

He looked over, raising an eyebrow and smirking back, whatever she was up to it could only be ridiculous

“ _ Ja _ Jester?”

“ Wanna go to the  boooookstore ? There’s a new book by the author of Tusk Love out and I  ** need ** it” 

He couldn’t help but laugh “when have I ever said no to a bookstore Jester?”

She squealed and grabbed his hand, tugging him away through the crowds. Veth and Beauregard yelled after them (“This girl is far too strong for her own good” Caleb thought, as he called out apologies to the people who had to jump out of the way) and he was sure  they were giving chase.

Jester stopped right outside the bookstore, skidding to a halt which caused Caleb to crash into her side. She laughed and pulled him into the store at a much more reasonable pace, linking arms with his as they walked.

“So” she said in a  conspiratorial whisper “what’s it  _ like?”  _

Caleb raised  an eyebrow but whispered back 

“What is... what like?”

She giggled and nudged him 

“ oh you  _ know _ , living with Molly of course” Caleb turned to look at her, clearly confused “well you  knoooow , he’s just  _ so  _ handsome and everything! I bet you’ve  _ to-tally  _ seen him naked by  noooow right?” 

Caleb felt himself blush “Jester, it’s... it’s nothing like that!  Mollymauk is just my friend and roommate...” he sighed “he does have a habit of walking around in far less clothing than most people I know” 

“ Oh come  _ on _ Cay- leeeb , you’ve read the books! You know how this goes!” They had gotten to the ‘adult romance’ (aka smut) section now, this was the only section Jester liked (other than art-books), and Caleb never minded stopping to look around with her. 

He raised an eyebrow again “the...books?” 

“Yes of  _ course _ Caleb! The books!” she waved her free hand at the shelves in front of him “two beautiful people move in together  ** completely ** out of necessity, and then they start to fall  in  _ love _ but they don’t  _ realize _ it and then one of them is  _ naked _ and the other one just about  ** dies ** and it’s all very romantic and wonderful!” 

Caleb felt like his brain had blue-screened. He just stood there and stared at her. 

“You... you think that  _ Mollymauk _ and I are going to... end up like one of your porn books?”

“ Oh my  _ gods _ Caleb, you’re as bad as Beau. It’s not  ** porn ** it’s  **_ romance” _ **

Caleb sputtered for a moment before carefully unwinding their arms

“I... I am going to go look in the magic section now” he said, spinning on his heel and darting away.

Absurd, that was absurd. They were just friends, good friends.  Mollymauk was considerate, and funny, and  charismatic (“and gorgeous” said a small voice in his mind, which he ignored).  While he... he was awkward, and anxious, and just sort of generally fucked up. He knew his friends loved him, and he them, but that didn’t change what he was. And he was definitely not the kind of person someone like  Mollymauk Tealeaf went for. 

He shook his head to clear it, no, that was just silly. He was happy with their friendship. 

He was browsing through the transmutation section when he heard it

_ “Ich  _ _ sehe _ _ Dich. Du  _ _ kannst _ __ _ uns _ __ _ nicht _ __ _ entkommen _ _ , Bren.” _

He jumped, dropping the book in his hand and whipping his head around. He couldn’t see anyone out of the ordinary.... There were only two other people in the section with him, and old woman and what looked like her 10 or  11-year-old grandson. 

He was sure he had heard her though. 

He picked up the book, sticking it back on the shelf at random, and walked as quickly as he could without running back towards where he had left Jester. Why had he let her drag him away from the others? He was supposed to keep them in a group, that was the safest place for them. 

“Hey! Caleb!” he jumped and stopped, turning toward the voice, it was Beauregard waving to him from the fiction section. 

He walked over, trying to look normal. 

“That pirate series dropped two new books!” she held them up, smiling “I didn’t  realize they were out already” 

Caleb nodded taking the books she handed him and looking them over. He  didn't usually read fiction, but this particular series was based on real events and had captured his interest. He couldn’t find it in himself to feel excited about it, his nerves were still singing. 

Beauregard had picked up a copy of each as well

“We should find the others, it’s nearly 6 and I’m  staaaaarved ” she complained, leading him back out into the main aisle. 

They didn’t find Veth and Jester in the romance section, and Caleb felt his heartrate leap. What if they had been taken? What if they were in trouble because of him? 

But Beauregard just shrugged and led the way to the art section, and sure enough there they were. Jester and Veth were sitting on the floor with four different books spread open in front of them, all showing some variety of blue and yellow flowers. 

Jester looked up and smiled “we’re wedding planning!”

Veth nodded, beaming up at them.

“Well we’re starving, grab your books and lets  gooooo ” 

They all lined up, Caleb could feel how twitchy he was being, and could see the looks the girls were giving him. They walked the hallway of the mall, heading for the  food court . The girls were all talking animatedly about the wedding, planning and joking, but Caleb couldn’t focus 

_ “Du  _ _ kannst _ __ _ uns _ __ _ nicht _ __ _ entkommen _ _ , Bren. Du  _ _ wirst _ __ _ uns _ __ _ niemals _ _ entkommen.” _

He jumped, his shoulder bumping  Beauregard's . she looked at him curiously, concern evident in her eyes. She didn’t say anything until they had gotten to the food court though. They sat down, hanging shopping bags on the chairs and tucking his schoolbag under the desk. Jester dashed off to get in line for her favourite ice-cream place (“it always takes  _ for- _ ever but it’s  ** so  ** good”) Before anyone could get up to go however, she grabbed his arm.

“Talk man. What’s going on”

Veth stopped in her tracks and looked at him curiously.

“You’ve been acting weird for like a week, Molly said so too, so spill” 

“Is that why you look so pale?” added Veth

He sighed. He hadn’t planned on telling them... but maybe he needed to. If she really was here... then they would be in danger, they needed to know. So, he sat down, and they all followed, leaning in slightly.

“I... I have been having nightmares again.” They both looked concerned, Beauregard and Veth shared a look. “It started last Folsen. I...” he sighed “I will sound crazy, but I saw, or I  _ thought _ I saw, someone from...before” 

Veth sucked in a breath “Not...  _ Tre-?” _

“No, not-not him” his hands had started to shake as he cut her off “Astrid.” 

Beauregard all but growled at the name, a scowl set on her face. 

“Are you  _ sure _ ? I thought she was on the run” Veth asked

“I... I am fairly sure”

“That doesn’t make any sense man” said Beauregard “they’re all on wanted lists with every city in  Wildemount , how could she just wander into  Zadash like that?”

He felt himself  deflate , they weren’t going to believe him. 

Veth was nodding now, looking from him to Beauregard “that’s true... I mean” she looked  imploringly at him “you’ve been so stressed with school... isn’t there a chance that the nightmares are causing it?” 

He bristled “causing  _ was _ exactly, Veth?” 

She flushed slightly, holding up her hands placatingly 

“I just mean... you used to think you saw them everywhere remember? When we didn’t get enough sleep or food for too long... back then?”

Beauregard was nodding now too “you need to eat man. Food and actual sleep” 

He stood up, realizing what they were saying. They didn’t believe him. 

He couldn’t even find it in himself to be mad, because Veth was right. When they  had been  homeless, he would have “episodes” where he was certain that they were being followed. The episodes were always caused by stress, by hunger, by the general horror of having nothing and no-where to call home. 

“I am hungry, I’ll be back in a bit” 

He walked off, lining up at the only non-grease-filled place in the mall... the  sandwich shop. He ordered, barely paying attention to what he was asking for, got a large drink and a cookie to go with it (more to placate Veth than anything else) and started walking back. 

As he got closer, he noticed the two of them were leaned in very close, clearly whispering to each other. Without thinking, he cast invisibility on himself and walked forward quietly 

“Look... look” Beauregard was whispering emphatically “it doesn’t  _ matter _ if the crazy bitch is actually around or not, what  _ matters _ is that Caleb  _ thinks _ she is” 

“But...”

“No listen, if the stress is getting to him bad enough that he’s literally seeing things...”

Veth nodded, looking uncertain “but what if she  _ did _ find a way into the city?”

“How could she have?  Zadash is way too well protected, there are  Crownsguard everywhere, and she’s on every damned list there is” 

“I guess....”

He felt his frown  deepen; they really didn’t believe him. 

He backed away slowly, getting far enough away before dropping his  invisibility and walking back over. He sat down, and started eating slowly. He really wasn’t hungry, but he knew Veth would only be upset if he didn’t eat something. Jester came back with a huge, ridiculous  ice-cream , and the others went off to get their food.

Once they came back, Caleb went back to letting the conversation wash over his head. His anxiety was back through the roof and it was a struggle not to just get up and run home as fast as he could. 

Finally, around 7, they all left.  Yezza picked up Veth, and he got on the bus with Jester and  Beauregard . Jester filled the ride with idle chatter about their purchases. She had managed to talk Beauregard and Caleb both into some new clothes and she was far more excited about it  than they were. They parted ways in the staircase landing as usual. Caleb could tell Beauregard was worried about him, but he didn’t comment and neither did she. 

He spent that night much the same as he had spent every night that week, drinking coffee and reading until far too late into the night. 

Part Two: Molly

Molly planned to spend a  peaceful morning relaxing around the  house, he wasn’t meeting  Yasha until around 6, so he had a few hours to get ready. He turned on the radio once Caleb had left for class, turning it up just a bit louder than he usually would have. He grabbed a few slices of cold pizza from the fridge, pausing when he realized how many were still there. He had assumed that since it wasn’t on the counter when he got home that Caleb must have had some for dinner... 

He worried as he got ready, eating the pizza and drinking cold coffee (just add a couple ice-cubes and it  _ totally _ counts as iced coffee). Caleb had been acting oddly lately. He had been busy with school, that much was  understandable , but would that lead to him downing more than double the amount of coffee as usual? Or eating half? He wasn’t sure... people reacted to stress differently  after all . 

But then there was the nightmare, Molly was  _ sure _ the weird behaviour had started there. He grabbed some clothes from the dresser, one of his many pairs of ripped jeans, and a black  tank top with an all-seeing-eye design. He hopped in the shower, still worrying about Caleb. 

Should he talk to the others? Would that be a breach of trust or was  it something that friends did? 

He sighed as he dried off, his experience with friendship was 99%  Yasha . Ever since he woke up six years ago with no idea who he was she had been his one constant. Well, her and Gus. They had even stuck around after the... mess (for lack of a better word) with Lucien. 

If it was  Yasha having trouble and someone else knew about it, what would he want? 

He would want to be told. Okay. 

He would start with  Yasha , she would understand his worry, and she could keep a secret if they decided that talking to the others was a bad idea. 

He finished getting ready, throwing on his  jewelry , boots and coat just as  Yasha’s notification sound dinged

** Yasha ** ** 🖤 ** ** :  ** Here

** Molly: ** omw !  😘

He stepped out the door of the apartment building and smiled,  Yashas old van was parked out front. It was a  smoky grey monstrosity, an old panel van that had seen much better days. It held all the band equipment though, and it was a lot safer for the winter months than her bike. He walked over and climbed in

“Yash! You got the  Stormcloud out of storage!” 

She smiled and patted the steering wheel, nodding

“I figured I should get her back on the road before the snow, in case something needs fixing”

They rode to Caduceus’s place in  companionable silence, the radio fuzzing along in the background. They walked in, waving to Fjord where he was heading towards the back with a stack of plates. 

“Hey there Cad!” Molly called happily as they walked up to the counter 

“Oh, hello  there Molly,  Yasha ” he smiled and nodded to each of them “it’s nice to see you again” 

“Got anything new and weird for us today?” 

“Always” Caduceus nodded again, turning to grab a teapot from behind the counter “new blend, it’s a black tea with cinnamon, star anise, orange,  cardamom and cloves. I use a little bit of brown sugar if you want  it a little sweeter” 

“That sounds delightful, right Yash?” he looked over and she nodded “we’d love a pot, and maybe some of those cinnamon cookies from the other day if you have some?” 

Caduceus nodded, ringing them up on the ancient cash register. They walked over to Molly’s favourite table right by the window. As they sat down with their tray of tea and cookies, Molly sighed. Might as well just get to it.

“Uh... Yash? I have a hypothetical for you”

She raised an eyebrow “what’s up?”

“So... say you have a friend that you’re worried about. They’re acting weird, not eating enough and stuff like that” he paused, thinking “and say... that you knew it had started right after something that they asked you not to tell anyone else about... but you’re  _ worried _ and you want to see if any of your other mutual friends can help... but you don’t want to break their trust?” 

He looked up, brows furrowed, to see her nodding along.

“Is this about Caleb?” 

“Wh-what??” 

“Caleb, that’s who you’re worried about right?” 

Molly just blinked at her for a moment before nodding slowly 

“How?”

“Beau” now he was just even more confused, she continued “she texted me a little while ago” 

Molly watched as she pulled out her phone, tapped the screen a few times and then read out

“Yash, something is up with Caleb, I’m  gonna come to the bar later” 

“Oh” 

Yasha nodded, taking a sip of her tea “oh this is good...” 

They ate and drank in silence for a few minutes while Molly digested all of this.  So Beau knew, or at least she had noticed that something was wrong. That was good, now all he had to do was wait until she came by. Maybe between the two of them they could figure something out. He felt himself relax a bit, having even just the semblance of a plan always made him feel better. The tea was delicious, it reminded Molly of something but he couldn’t quite place it.

They got to the bar at 7, which gave them both enough  time to drop their coats off in the employee room before heading to their spots.  Yasha was on door-duty as usual, even though  Grissen was always a quiet night (and there was no entry fee when they didn’t have bands performing). Molly chatted with the customers, keeping one eye on the door. It didn’t take long for Beau to show up. 

He had been on shift for about an hour when she plunked herself down on one of the barstools and waved him over.

“Evening Unpleasant One” he said, smiling, there was no need for doom and gloom just yet.

“Sup, toss me a beer would you?” 

He grabbed her a bottle of her usual, opening it and setting it down. He let her get a few sips in before he spoke again.

“So,  Yasha said you wanted to talk about Caleb?” 

She sighed “yeah”

He waited while she took another long swig from her bottle. 

“Has he been acting weird at home?”

“Weird how?”

“Not eating, not sleeping...  kinda twitchy,  y’know _ weird” _

Molly sighed, leaning against the back counter before nodding

“Do you have any idea what caused it?” he asked, he wasn’t going to talk about the nightmare, not unless she brought it up first. To his relief... she did. 

“He said he had a nightmare, and he seems to think he’s been seeing someone from before” 

That... was odd. Caleb had mentioned seeing someone, but the way Beau said it...

“Do you not believe him?” his voice was sharper than he meant for it to be. 

She looked up, surprised “I mean... this person  _ can’t _ be here Mols, she’s on the run” 

That was interesting, but not the point. 

“People on the run show up all the time” 

Beau shook her head “Nah man, you don’t understand, there’s no way” she rubbed the back of her neck, clearly uncomfortable “and... well... Caleb has had issues like this before, where he imagines that he’s seeing these people when they aren’t there” she finished her beer “it hasn’t happened in a good year now... but still” 

“How do you know that’s what’s happening?” Molly was annoyed, he stood with his arms crossed, and a frown tugging at his lips. He knew it was ridiculous but something about her reaction was frustrating him“how do you  _ know _ that this woman isn’t actually here this time?” 

That seemed to throw her. He handed her a new beer and took the old one, giving her a moment to think and himself a moment to breathe. They were talking about Caleb, not him, Caleb. 

“I guess I don’t really... it’s just really  _ really _ unlikely” 

“Does Caleb know you don’t believe him?”

Now she looked  embarrassed , she looked down, ears red, chewing her lip. That was a yes then, great. 

“Maybe, instead of making him think that his  _ best friend _ thinks he’s loopy, you should try being supportive” that sharpness was back in his voice now “even if he’s imagining things, do you really think making him feel alone is going to make it  _ better _ ?” 

Beau glared at him, chugged back the rest of her beer, tossed some money down and stormed out. He could see the red from her ears had spread to the back of her neck. 

Maybe he should have felt bad about being sharp with her, but she was being an ass as far as he was concerned. 

Molly spent the rest of his shift in a sour mood, trying his best to focus on the customers and keeping himself as busy as possible.  Yasha gave him a hug at the end of the night as they packed up. 

“I guess Beau told you what happened?” he pouted

“The gist of it” she paused for a moment before putting her hand on his  shoulder “ I think you’re right, for the record”

His head whipped up and he stared for a moment. She smiled down at him, all soft lines and affection.

“You could have gone about it a bit nicer, but Caleb is lucky to have you in his corner” 

He blushed, unsure why that idea brought a surge of warmth to his chest. 

“I just want to help Yash...” he bit his lip, the warmth seeping away slowly “he’s so... good. He works so hard, and I know he’s had some rough shit in his past” he looked back up “but he just deserves so much better. He deserves good things” 

Yasha’s smile widened slightly and she pulled him into another hug. 

“I’ll help however I can, you know that Molly” 

\---

Molly got home just before 3am, pulling off his coat and boots he wandered into the kitchen. He grabbed a slice of pizza and a glass of water. Why was there still pizza? He had to get Caleb to eat more. 

He eyed  Caleb's room; the door was open a crack as usual for  Frumpkin . He tiptoed closer, trying not to make a sound. Once he was right  outside, he stopped, holding his breath to listen. The only sound was  Caleb's quiet breathing and  Frumkpins occasional purr. Satisfied, Molly went back to his own room, pulling on his  Pj’s and taking off his jewelry. He curled up under the soft covers and fell asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this is the longest chapter so far, and I'm not sorry, but also don't get used to it 😅  
> Chapter ten is already written and I'm fighting not to post it, but I want to work on chapter 11 a bit first sooooooooooo  
> Jester is the queen of the multi-ship I'm just saying. 
> 
> Oh, ZEMNIAN STUFF:  
> Ich sehe Dich. Du kannst uns nicht entkommen, Bren. = I see you. You can’t escape us, Bren.  
> Du kannst uns nicht entkommen, Bren. Du wirst uns niemals entkommen. = You can’t escape us Bren. You’ll never escape us. 
> 
> Yes they're google translated and to the lovely LOVELY person who offered to help... I can't find your tumblr when I look for it I'm sorryyyyyyyy xoxo
> 
> GUYS CR COMES BACK TONIGHT AND I'M SO HYPE.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Semi-Platonic Cuddles! Poor Coping Methods! More Therapy! Fjord is Dad-Friend! Even When I Try To Write Angst I Write Fluff!
> 
> Seriously though, brief description of panic-attacks included, and surrounded by lots of fluff.  
> Like... obnoxious amounts of fluff, this whole fic is self-indulgent tropes right now cause I need these babes to get cuddled. 
> 
> Dates:   
> Calebs part starts Whelsen the 23rd and ends on Folsen the 25th   
> Molly’s part starts (technically) Yulisen 26th at like 3am and ends on the same day

Part One: Caleb

Caleb didn’t speak to Beauregard the next day. They had a shift together, as they always did on  Whelsen mornings, but Caleb made sure that he was busy elsewhere the whole time. He knew she didn’t mean anything by what she had said at the mall, and that she didn’t even know he had heard parts of it. He couldn’t help but be hurt though. Beauregard was his best friend (other than Veth of course), she was the reason he had other friends. She had done so much for him... he should be grateful that she even spoke to him when they first met. 

But... it still hurt. 

It hurt to not be believed by someone he cared for, someone he respected. He was too tired to  deal with it. He still wasn’t sleeping and he was just... tired. 

He got through the day with several texts from Veth, apologizing and checking in to see how he was. Reminding him that she loved him, and if he needed  her, she was there. 

He finished his shift and snuck out a back door, avoiding Beauregard where she stood at the desk. He walked to the cafeteria, sitting in his usual spot with a muffin and his coffee. He looked up as Fjord sat across from him, a smile on his face

“Afternoon Cay, how was work?” 

Caleb smiled back as best he could “oh it was fine, just busy”

Fjord eyed his plate, concerned “is uh... is that your lunch?” Caleb nodded

Fjord took an apple from his plate and stuck it on Caleb’s, cutting him off before he could protest. 

“You’re skin an’ bones Cay, you need to eat”

“Have you been talking to Veth?”

“And Beau, yup.” 

Caleb blinked. He hadn’t expected Fjord to admit to it so easily, he looked up at his friend and felt a twinge. Fjord looked so concerned, brow furrowed and a frown on his face. He reached over an put a hand on  Caleb’s .

“I know Beau  ain’t particularly good at being...supportive, but we all care about you. If you need help, we’re here” 

Caleb looked down again, nodding before taking a bite of the apple. Fjord took his hand back, and spent the rest of their lunch chatting about more pleasant things. Caleb appreciated  it; Fjord had a steadying quality about him. Caleb made sure to eat the entire apple, and even munched on a few bites of the muffin for good measure. It seemed to comfort Fjord, who smiled at him as they got up to head to class. This was the only class they shared, and it was always nice having a friend to sit with.

His last class went by in a now too familiar blur, he loved  Dunamancy , but his stomach was rolling with food from lunch. Needless to  say, he was glad to get home that night. He exhaled as soon as he felt the wards protection buzz through his skin. Hanging up his coat and putting away his boots.  Mollymauk didn’t work  Whelsen’s , but he knew  Yasha was working. There was always a chance Mollymauk would spend the night at the bar with her. 

He was almost shocked when he heard  Mollymauks voice from the bathroom

“Oh! You’re home!” 

He turned and smiled,  Mollymauk was in his housecat gear, a pair of harem style pajama bottoms and a way-too-big pale blue t-shirt that hung off one  shoulder, definitely not planning to go out. 

“Hallo  Mollymauk , staying in tonight?” 

Mollymauk hummed in response, nodding as he walked over to the kitchen

“I was  _ just _ about to make hot chocolate, would you like some?” 

That might make him sleepy... he hesitated, not wanting to tempt fate. The Tiefling seemed to notice the pause, as he turned to look at Caleb over his shoulder. He seemed to study  Calebs face for a moment before smirking

“If you want, I’ve got some  boozey coffee creamer that would be  _ delicious _ in the hot chocolate from Caddy’s” 

That... actually sounded good.

“ _ ja _ , okay, you’ve convinced me” he said, smiling back at the other man. 

Mollymauk clapped once, a bright smile on his face while he grabbed the supplies. Caleb walked over to help, and when  Mollymauk reached for the kettle he reached out and caught his hand.  Mollymauk jumped at the contact, his eyes snapping to Caleb’s. Was he... blushing? It was hard to tell with the  lavender skin. But Caleb just smiled again, letting his hand go and reaching into the cupboard for their smallest saucepan. 

“It tastes better without water” he said simply, grabbing the milk out of the fridge and taking it and the pot to the stove.  Mollymauk followed, his tail twitching curiously. 

Caleb showed him how to get the milk warm enough to dissolve the chocolate, without boiling it over. He poured some into both of their mugs, leaving the remainder off to the side with a lid.  Mollymauk pulled out the creamer and poured a generous amount into both of their mugs. 

The smile the lit up  Mollymauks face when he took a sip was stunning. Caleb felt his cheeks warm as the red eyes caught his

“Caleb! This is 100 times better! How come I didn’t know about this?” 

Caleb smiled back, still pink in the cheeks, and shrugged

“Most people do it the other way, with boiled water, but my parents always did it this way and I’ve always liked it better” he took a sip, just as good as he knew it would be. The creamer added a little bit of bite at the end, he would have to measure out his own for the next cup.

“I can see why Gustav doesn’t let you tend the bar on busy nights”  Mollymauks head tilted curiously “you would end up  _ costing _ him money if you poured all the drinks this way” 

The  Tiefling burst out laughing, pressing a hand to  Caleb's arm

“oh, you’re absolutely right about that one” he said, steering Caleb over to the couch and tugging his arm gently when they got there. 

The rest of the evening was spent with the two of them curled up on the couch getting steadily more drunk on the creamy hot chocolate, and watching cheesy TV. 

It was easily the most relaxing night Caleb had had in what felt like a long time. 

\----

He woke the next morning, sitting up and leaned against  Mollymauk . At some point in the night his arm had wound around the warm  lavender shoulders, and  Mollymauks head had landed on his own shoulder. His head ached, and his mouth was dry, but he was... strangely comfortable. He looked down, taking a moment to watch  Mollymauks sleeping face. His lashes were longer than Caleb had thought, they turned faintly pink at the ends. Caleb wondered how much the peacock feathers trailing up his cheek and neck had hurt, and if he remembered getting them. 

Jester was right about one thing,  Mollymauk was  _ very _ handsome. 

He hated to do it, but it was 7:13 and he had to be at the library for 9, so he would have to get off the couch...

Wait.

It was 7:13... in the morning. 

He had SLEPT. 

While he was sitting there trying to wrap is head around that fact, his phone started to vibrate, aggressively... in his pocket. 

Mollymauk jumped up, eyes flying open, cursing in infernal

“Sorry! Sorry, it’s my alarm” Caleb pulled the phone out and held it up helplessly “I have work today” 

Mollymauk put a hand to his chest dramatically, turning to glare at the phone in Caleb’s hand

“ _ That _ is an incredibly rude phone”

Caleb laughed, flipping open the phone to shut off the alarm. 

“I agree, but it did  its job... and I need to start getting ready” He felt his cheeks warm just slightly as he realized  Mollymauks tail was wrapped around his ankle

“uh...” Caleb looked down at it and  then back up at  Mollymauk . To his surprise, there was a slightly darker shade of purple spreading up  Mollymauks ears. The tail unwound and they both stood to stretch, Caleb knew he was avoiding looking at  Mollymauk , but wasn’t sure if the other man was doing the same thing.

He had fallen asleep on the couch with  Mollymauk _ again _ . 

And he had actually slept. 

Had that been because of the company or the booze? He wasn’t sure he wanted the answer.

Making a quiet excuse, he went back to his room, grabbed some clothes and headed for the shower. Over the next hour he finished his shower, got dressed, made coffee to take to work and ate the toast with jam that Mollymauk shoved into his hand. Then he was out the door.

He got to work with a few minutes to spare... so he stopped at the library café and picked up coffee and a muffin for Beauregard. He was still a little frustrated that she hadn’t believed him, but she  _ was _ his best friend, his sister really. And besides, they were going to be working together all day, there was no point making it uncomfortable. He got to the desk and saw that she was talking to a student, a young woman with pretty green eyes and long blonde hair. Knowing Beauregard, she was probably working her way towards  getting the  girls number. 

He walked over and quietly placed the coffee and muffin on the desk next to her before setting himself up and loading up his computer. By the time he was settled and scrolling through his work email, the girl had walked away. Beauregard hadn’t sat back down yet, but Caleb could feel her staring at him like she wanted to say something. He knew she was probably going to try and apologize... but he found that he really didn’t need to hear it. 

He turned to look up at her, smiling slightly

“You should drink that before it gets cold”

She smiled back tentatively, sitting down and taking a sip of the coffee. They sat in silence for a while, just going through the morning work. Caleb got up to start sorting the returned books, only to feel a hand on his arm. He looked down to see Beauregard frowning up at him.

“I’m not going to like... get all mushy or whatever. I just wanted to tell you that if you need help, I’m here” she broke eye contact, chewing her lip “I don’t know what you’re going through man, but I’m around... or whatever” 

He reached over and patted her hand where it sat on his arm. Once she caught his eye  again, he smiled. 

The rest of the shift went smoothly, the blonde girl came back a few times and sat at a table watching their desk over her books (“poor thing doesn’t know what she’s getting into” Caleb thought with a chuckle). He left just after 5, Beauregard was staying late to help  Zeenoth close up (and make a little extra money), so he walked to the bus stop alone. 

He had a few minutes to kill before his bus got there, so he pulled out the new book he had bought and started reading. He had only gotten through a few pages when he got the uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching him. He shivered, a chill going through him despite the warm layers he wore.  He was sure it was her, but he couldn’t see anyone. The stop was empty but for himself... He sighed, got on the bus, and went home. 

\----

Folsen dawned chilly and dark for Caleb. He woke shaking with his own hand pressed against his mouth. He had managed to kick the blankets off himself in the midst of the nightmares. They had been a bit different last night... less fire, more shifting faces and laughter. He almost wished he had taken  Mollymauk up on his offer of a movie night, if just for the chance that he would be too tired to dream after staying up late enough. He had therapy today... the month had gone by in a blur. He was definitely feeling nervous about the session, he wanted to tell Dr Pike about what was happening. She knew  Caleb's full history, so she at least would be more likely to understand the danger posed by it.

Mollymauk was clearly still asleep when Caleb left his room to shower and get ready. He grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a  long-sleeved grey shirt that said “Cat Puns Freak  Meowt ” (another gift from Jester, she never could help herself). After a long shower, and a breakfast of coffee with sugar, he made a single serving of eggs and toast and put it in the fridge for  Mollymauk . 

Just out of habit, of course.

He reached class early as always, made small talk with  Essek and agreed to get together for a study session  sometime in the following week. That would be helpful, exams were coming up  after all . 

The re-appearance of a deadly enemy couldn’t get in the way of his GPA. 

He sat in his usual spot in Dr Pike’s office, he could feel his nerves buzzing. He hated how helpless this had all made him feel. Things had been going so well, and he had let his guard down. Then the whole mess with Beauregard and Veth... 

“Good morning Caleb”

He jumped at the sound, looking over quickly to see Dr Pike smiling at him from the doorway. He stood up jerkily, following her into the room. He perched on the edge of his usual chair, every muscle felt tight, he had to tell her, talk to her. 

She sat across from him and watched with obvious concern on her face

“How are you Caleb?”

“I am... not at my best if I am completely honest” 

She nodded, looking unsurprised

“Would you like to tell me  what's happened? You seemed to be doing very well at our last session”

He took a deep breath, nodded back and launched into it. He told her all about seeing Astrid a week ago, about the nightmares, the lack of sleep. He even told her about the food-aversion being back, his guilt about making his friends worry... The way he had heard her at the mall and his  friend's responses. 

She listened calmly the whole time,  making notes and nodding along, her brow furrowing as he spoke. 

He took a deep breath again, focussing back on his main  concern

"I swear I am seeing her everywhere" Caleb got the words out in a rush "the others don't believe me, but she's everywhere, like some horrible ghost haunting me"

He looked over at the doctor, her face was concerned as she made notes on her pad. After a moment she spoke, in what would be her most calming voice

"Okay, well... Let's look at this logically" ("she doesn't believe you either..." Caleb thought desperately, a shock running through him) "you are under a lot of stress with school, and you've already said you aren't sleeping properly"

She paused, so Caleb nodded, it didn't matter anyway. She didn't believe him.

"We also know that Astrid, along with the other boy" "Wulf" Caleb supplied quietly, the doctor nodded "are both wanted by the police... Along with Tr-"

"No" Caleb cut her off "please don't... His name feels like a curse"

She nodded, clearly sympathetic but worried. He knew why, he had stopped asking her to avoid  _ his _ name months ago. He knew she would want to discuss that fun little throwback, but right now he was busy trying not to panic.

"So perhaps we ought to look at the underlying reason you feel this way, why your mind would be supplying her face to replace the cause of your anxiety..."

Caleb felt like he was suffocating, of course they didn't believe him, why should they believe him? He was crazy after  all; it was a shock that the authorities had even believed him back then. 

He should have stayed in the asylum.

Who the fuck thought it was a good idea to let him out?

What was he even  _ doing _ here.

He could hear Dr Pike saying something, and he tried to listen, but the rushing sound in his ears was drowning her out.

Was he drowning?

His chest was constricting and the edges of his vision had started to go black

Maybe he  _ was _ drowning.

Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

“- leb ? Caleb?” 

A small, gentle hand on his arm brought him back. His head snapped up and his vision cleared just enough to see Dr Pike standing in front of him, looking far more concerned than he had seen her in a long time. 

“Yes, I’m sorry, I was... distracted”

“You were panicking Caleb” her voice was kind, but serious “I know what you panicking looks like” 

He shrugged, it was jerky half-aborted motion, he was trying to convince his heartrate to slow through willpower alone.

“I can understand why this is all so upsetting for you Caleb, her reappearance would mean a danger to the life you have built here” she paused “and I know... that the police not having caught them after all this time can only add to that fear” 

He nodded again, right now he just felt numb. This session had been his last hope of getting someone to believe him, he had thought that Dr Pike would believe him. 

He heard her sigh as she sat back in her own chair, he was a  disappointment he knew. She had thought he was doing so well, now he was failing again. 

“Perhaps we should look into medication? I know you were uncomfortable with the idea last year but-”

“ No” there was the fear again, jumping in to remind him that he was in danger “no medication.”

She only nodded “alright, then  let's work on some ways to help you sleep. Is your friend  Mr Clay still making that tea?” 

“I have not had any in a while, but I’m sure he would do so”

“Excellent, well, why don’t you start there?” he nodded “walk me through how your evenings have gone over this week,  let's see if we can find patterns”

Caleb went over each evening in detail, his perfect memory coming in handy. He spoke in a monotone, most of his energy was going towards not sinking into a panic again. The edges of his vision were still fuzzy, and every instinct in him was screaming to run. 

The doctor was quiet for a moment once he was done, looking thoughtfully at her notes. 

“You haven’t been seeing much of your friends recently” 

He raised an eyebrow at her, he saw most of them every day, and he told her so. 

“I mean outside of work or school” he waited, still confused. He had been a bit pre-occupied with  _ her _ coming back to really think about parties... 

The doctor smiled kindly at him “The only night this week that you didn’t have a nightmare was the night you were with  Mr Tealeaf” she paused to indicate her notepad “and up until now, you had Veth with you most nights, and you were spending the others surrounded by your friends at their apartments or the coffee shop, or the bar”

Oh, she thought he was just lonely. 

No, he had distanced himself on purpose, to keep them  _ safe _ . Why wouldn’t he?

“It might seem silly, but my suggestion is that you try and reach out to them again, they’re your friends. They would want to help support you, and I think you know that” 

He nodded again, there was no use in arguing about it, no point in trying to explain. She thought he was imagining things, because he was  _ lonely _ . 

Just how fucked up did she think he was? 

Well... he supposed she wasn’t completely off the mark there.

But... she had given him an idea, the only other  anomaly from the one night he had slept was the booze... Couldn’t hurt to try it.

\---

Caleb left, and went straight home. 

He sent an email to  Zeenoth claiming to be sick, and then turned off his phone. 

Once he got home, he grabbed the bottle of whiskey from above the fridge, it was mostly full. He grabbed a glass, his books and went to his room. 

It had been a long time since Caleb had drank himself to sleep, but hey, anything was worth a try.

\----

Caleb sighed, head pounding, nudging Frumpkin with his toe as the cat stopped directly in front of him,  _ again _ . 

“You know  _ katze _ _ ,  _ you are interrupting a very important task with your silliness.”  Frumpkin just looked up at him, reproachful. 

“I know you feel this is not the thing I ought to be doing, but I promise that the coffee is very, very necessary to my survival” he took a step forward, and  Frumpkin moved to block him again “ Frumpkin , my dearest cat,  _ bitte _ , get out of the way” 

The booze really hadn’t worked, all it had done was leave him with a sore head and a dry mouth to go with his nightmares.

There was a slight click and Molly’s voice rang out from a few feet away 

“ Y’know , if anyone caught you having an argument with your  cat, they would  _ probably _ question your sanity...or your sobriety at least” 

Caleb looked over to see Molly leaning against the cupboard nearest the door with a smirk on his face (“you have  _ no _ idea” he thought ironically).

“Ah, hello Molly. How was work?” 

“Fantastic as always darling” he dropped his bag and pulled off the sneakers he wore home after his Friday shows “the audience, and everyone else for that matter,  ** loves ** me.” he winked at that.

Caleb rolled his eyes in a good-natured way, smiling at his roommate before reaching down and scooping up a startled  Frumpkin . The cat glared at him as he walked over to the coffee maker. 

“Bit late for coffee isn’t it?” Caleb looked over as Molly walked closer, brows furrowed with concern. 

“Ah, a bit early for those of us who already went to bed” Caleb said, trying for lighthearted but realizing he only sounded tired. 

“Can’t sleep?” Molly asked, laying his hand gently on the coffee mug to stop Caleb from filling it. Caleb look up and shook his head. “Well….” continued Molly, a far  gentler smile on his face “how about instead of drinking coffee at 3am, then working 8 hours and being exhausted all day, you come watch some cheesy tv with me?” 

Caleb must have looked as confused as he felt, because Molly chuckled. 

“Nothing better for insomnia than cheesy tv, and crashing on the couch is better than not sleeping at all so…” he trailed off, shrugging. 

Normally, Caleb would have said no, taken his coffee and just hid in his room until Molly went to bed… but… “yeah, okay” 

He was shocked at his own response, (“I really must be tired…” he thought “or perhaps the whiskey isn’t quite out of my system”) setting the unused coffee mug upside down next to the machine, he wandered over to the couch. Molly went into his room for a moment, coming out in black pj pants and a pair of bunny slippers, his horns free of jewelry. Caleb had settled himself on the corner cushion of the couch as usual, feet tucked up beside him. Molly sat next to him, one arm on the back of the couch and a remote in his other hand. He flipped on some baking show, it looked vaguely familiar to Caleb, though the background noise was already lulling his mind into a sleepy state. 

“Is this…. The one Jester talks about? The competition where they are all nice to each other?” 

Molly nodded, smiling “Yup, as much as I love a competition, it’s nice to have something more relaxing to watch.” 

Caleb found himself nodding along, his eyes unfocussed. He felt himself drifting, the quiet noise of the tv and the warmth that always seemed to radiate off of Molly's skin calming his frayed nerves. He felt his head land on something warm and soft, and his last thoughts were of how maybe,  _ just maybe _ the doctor had had a point... then sleep took him. 

  


Part Two

Molly

Molly didn’t jump when  Caleb's head settled against his shoulder, he really didn’t. He had watched the poor  humans' eyes get heavier and heavier over the maybe 20 minutes they had been watching TV. So, it was no surprise when they closed, and he tipped into Molly’s side. What  ** was ** a surprise was when Molly let his arm slide from the back of the couch to around Caleb’s shoulder… the other man had  ** nuzzled ** him. Caleb's whole body had shifted slightly, leaning into the warmth and getting comfortable. This hadn’t been the plan exactly, but Molly was a  cuddler at heart, so… ah well. 

He yawned, it had been a long day and he was exhausted… He started to tentatively shift toward the other end of the couch, laying with his head on the cushion there and gently tugging Caleb along with him. He was shocked that the ginger didn’t wake up at the movement, he was usually such a light sleeper... though the scent of whiskey that wafted off of him might hold a clue. Molly’s brow  furrowed; he had thought Caleb was pushing himself too hard  lately... But maybe there was something else? 

He maneuvered them into a more comfortable position, Molly on his back with Caleb on his side, curled up between Molly and the back of the couch. If Molly tilted his head  _ just _ _ so _ … yup, he could see the humans softly sleeping face. Molly felt like his heart was swelling, Caleb never ever looked this peaceful, the ever-present lines around his brows smoothed out and his mouth relaxed. Lately he had looked even more stressed, the dark bags under his eyes worse than Molly had ever seen them. It made Molly’s chest ache in that odd way when Caleb shifted slightly, his hand coming to rest just below Molly’s collarbone. Molly found himself wishing he could find a way to keep that calm expression safe on Caleb’s face. He smiled fondly, just imagining those gorgeous eyes looking up at him, all sleepy and warm and…

  
Oh.

Oh NO. 

Suddenly it made sense. The tightness in his chest  every time Caleb smiled at him... his unending need to  _ see _ that smile. The knowing looks  Yasha and Beau had thrown at him every time he talked about Caleb for just a little too long, or asked about him after a show. The warmth that had spread through his whole body when Caleb had touched his hand the other night... 

Molly froze, eyes wide. Using his free  hand, he slid his cellphone out of his pocket. He took a selfie of the two of them, looking right into the camera helplessly. He pulled up his messages.

** Molly:  ** <image attached>

** Molly ** : YASH. HELP. 

** Yasha ** : aw that’s cute

** Molly ** : NOT HELPFUL

** Yasha ** ** : ** he’s scrawny, can’t you lift him? 

** Yasha ** ** : ** wait… that’s not what you meant was it. 

** Molly ** : NO. 😖💀

** Molly ** : wtf do I DO YASH

** Yasha ** : go to sleep Molly, we can talk tomorrow

** Molly ** : hskfnajkdgjjhf

Molly glared at his phone, then looked back at Caleb's sleeping face and sighed. 

He was completely screwed. 

  


Mini  Yasha Interlude!

Yasha sighed, looking at her phone. Molly was ridiculous, she loved him like a brother but honestly, he could be so dense sometimes.

“What’s up babe?”

Yasha looked up and smiled at Beau 

“Oh… nothing really, Molly is in crisis again.”

“At 3am? Isn’t he home by now?” 

“ Mhmm , he’s with Caleb”

“Caleb skipped work today, if Molly had anything to do with that I  _ swear” _

Yasha shook her head “We were with him at the bar Beau, remember?”

“Then what kind of... Oh.”  Yasha watched comprehension dawn across her girlfriend's face, from shock to annoyance, and pulled her down onto the loveseat, wrapping an arm around the smaller woman's shoulders. “ So, he figured out that he likes Caleb? Finally?”  Yasha nodded in response “ugh. He’s going to be insufferable” 

Yasha laughed at that, Beau wasn’t great with her own emotions, let alone anyone else's… And when Molly  ** felt ** things, he really felt them. Beau tilted her head towards the phone as the screen lit up again.  Yasha opened the message, just random gibberish, he was flustered. Beau snickered 

“He sent you a  _ picture _ ?  Lemme see!”  Yasha scrolled up and tapped the photo so it filed the whole screen. The image was of Molly laying on the couch, a helpless expression on his face, eyes wide. Curled up against him was Caleb, his hair loose and spilling over his face and shoulders, one hand rested lightly on Molly’s chest. His face was relaxed, the stress lines gone and lips just slightly parted. 

Beau’s smile went from teasing to… downright fond as she caught Caleb’s expression. 

“Well fuck, I can’t tease him now… not when Caleb looks so fucking peaceful.” She leaned up and pecked  Yasha’s cheek “so, what do we do then?”

Yasha sighed “Honestly, I think they’re both going to need all they help they can get working this out… maybe just try not to punch Molly  _ too _ hard when he starts pining? For me?” Beau grumbled at that.

“I make no promises.”

  
Part 2.5

Molly ( cont. )

Molly sighed and shut his eyes,  Yasha was being entirely unhelpful. She knew he was awful at...  _ this _ kind of stuff. He looked back down at Caleb, gods he looked so sweet all curled up like this. He actually looked his age for once, all the stress and stoic silence made him seem older. 

Thinking about the stress made him think of the conversation he had had with Beau. It still pissed him off. Caleb didn’t deserve it, Beau was his  _ sister _ , he said so all the time. Family is supposed to look out for each other, support each other. 

Well, he decided, running his fingers through the soft ginger hair, even if she doesn’t believe him... I do. 

Caleb seemed to sigh into the touch, tilting his head up towards Molly and almost seeming to smile in his sleep. Molly couldn’t help but smile back, that now familiar ache back in his chest. He really was screwed, but he might as well enjoy it. He shifted slightly, getting more comfortable on the couch and pulling the blanket that always hung along the back down over them. Molly curled his fingers lightly into  Caleb's hair, tilted his head so he could keep that cinnamon and smoke smell, and let himself drift off.

\----

He was woken sometime later by the annoying glare of sunlight. He grumbled slightly, nuzzling into the warmth around him, he had rolled onto his side at some point in the night and his back was chilly. The blanket must have slipped? 

He opened his eyes and was very confused, instead of his window, he was looking at the back of the couch? Why was he...

Oh, oh shit. 

He felt himself tense slightly as Caleb shifted against him, the other  man's breath warm on his neck. They had shifted in the night, ending up with Caleb pressed between himself and the couch. Caleb’s hands were wrapped in Molly’s shirt, their legs tangled together and Molly’s tail wrapped around  Caleb's ankle. One of Molly’s hands was rested against the small of Caleb’s back, the other still tangled in his now completely loose hair. 

Caleb  murmured something in what sounded like  Zemnian , though Molly couldn’t make it out... Did he dare...? Well, they had to get up at some point. 

“What was that darling?” he whispered back

There was a little more mumbling then a grumbled “turn out the lights __ _ Kätzchen _ __ it is too early”

He held back a laugh, smirking at how grouchy Caleb sounded. Molly usually only saw him when he was racing off to class or after he had a chance to get himself ready. This version was undeniably cute. 

He took another risk, sliding his hand through Caleb’s hair before saying softly back

“I’m afraid I can’t turn off the sun love, as much as I would like to” 

Caleb pressed his face into Molly’s chest with more grumbling... and possibly  Zemnian curse words? It sure sounded like it. 

This time Molly did laugh, just a chuckle that he couldn’t quite hold back. It was enough  though; Caleb froze for a moment before very slowly lifting his face to look up into Molly’s. Those blue eyes were still sleep foggy, but Molly could have sworn he  _ saw  _ the moment that the situation registered for Caleb. The eyes  widened; eyebrows raised  and... (“oh” thought Molly, his heart doing that damned squeeze again) a faint pink blush spread  across Caleb’s cheeks and nose. 

“Goodmorning sunshine” Molly said gently, deciding to go for a confident smile instead of apologetic. 

The blush deepened as Caleb  replied “ah... good morning” 

He hadn’t tried to move yet, and Molly certainly didn’t want to, but he also didn’t want to stress Caleb out... 

“It looks like we were both far more tired than we thought” he said, still smiling as he unwound his fingers from  Caleb's hair and back, leaning up on one elbow to give the other man some room. 

They were able to slide up into sitting positions, Molly kept himself facing Caleb though, trying to read his face. He looked  embarrassed , cheeks still red and one hand pressed to the back of his neck. Molly tried not to sigh, and to ignore the sad little thrum in his mind at the idea that Caleb might not be too happy about waking up like this again. 

“I um... I am sorry about that” Caleb looked down at his own lap “I... have not been sleeping well and I guess it caught up with me... I didn’t mean to keep you from your bed”

Molly waved a hand “it’s fine, really” Caleb looked up, surprised, and Molly smiled back “I’m a cuddler, you know that” 

Caleb gave him a small smile back before looking away with a nod. He paused for just a moment before deciding that a little dose of normal was exactly what they needed

“But  y’know ...” Caleb looked back up, gods what he wouldn’t do to keep those eyes on him...

“If you’d  _ rather _ use the actual bed next time, mine is more than big enough” he ended with a very dramatic wink and fang-bearing smirk. 

Caleb chuckled, the tension in his shoulders disappearing before he stood up and stretched, heading to the kitchen 

“Coffee?” he called over and Molly hopped up, following along.

“Breakfast.” he countered, pulling out a pan and some eggs “you need  _ food _ Mr. Caleb” 

\----

They spent the next few hours just relaxing, Molly making sure that Caleb actually ate a full serving of breakfast before he had a second cup of coffee. Caleb wasn’t working today, apparently the library was cutting hours a bit, not that Molly minded. He told Caleb to take a shower first, offering to wash the dishes and such. Once he was done, he pulled out his phone

** Yasha ** ** 🖤 ** : Still alive Mols?

** Molly ** : no thx 2 u!  💔 💔

** Yasha ** ** 🖤:  ** lol 

** Yasha ** ** 🖤 ** ** :  ** I’ll make up 2 u, movie night? 

Molly smiled,  Yasha always knew what he  needed... And he  _ really _ needed to talk to her about all this. Before he could respond, Caleb came out of the bathroom, grey joggers and a baggy blue hoodie with his long hair damp and loose around his shoulders. He smiled over at Molly and Molly felt his heart flipflop in his chest. 

Gods damn it he really needed to talk to Yasha. 

“How do you feel about a movie night?” he asked without thinking

Caleb thought for a moment, then seeming to decide on something he nodded

** Molly: ** sounds great!!  Lets make it a party 🍻 🎶

** Yasha ** ** 🖤 ** : I'll text the others

** Molly ** : XOXO 👍💜💜💜

He looked up to see Caleb looking at him, a more serious expression on his face.

“What’s up doll?” 

“I... could we talk before the others  get here?” 

That was... concerning. 

Molly nodded, patting the  cushion next to him “of course, what’s up?”

Caleb walked over, stopping in the kitchen to grab a refill on his coffee, and sat down. 

Molly waited. 

Caleb took a deep breath, and staring into his coffee he said softly.

“I think I need to tell you... about my past” he looked up, sadness and a little fear in his eyes “and I only hope you can forgive me, I think we are all in danger”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I google "funny cat shirts" for like 25 minutes just for a single line in this chapter? Yup.   
> Do I regret that? Nope.  
> Next chapter will have Caleb's backstory, surrounded by more fluff, then the next two chapters will be uuuuuuuhhhh plot.
> 
> If you've never made hot chocolate with just milk/cream you are missing out, just saying
> 
> Did we like the mini Yasha interlude? I have a couple more planned for various other M9 members, so I hope y'all don't mind too much :D


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Backstory! Caleb is a Soft Babe! Hugs Make Everything Better! Validation! Old Movies! Might Nein As Family is My FAVE!
> 
> This one is a little bit shorter than the last one, but I make up for that with pure fluff!

Chapter Eleven

Part One: Caleb

Caleb took a deep breath, and staring into his coffee he said softly.

“I think I need to tell you... about my past” he looked up, knowing the fear he felt must show “and I only hope you can forgive me, I think we are all in danger”

Molly looked... concerned, but he leaned forward and placed a warm hand on  Caleb's knee

“Look Caleb... I only care about your past in so far as it affects  _ you _ ” he paused, apparently trying to sort out how to say what he wanted to “I don’t have one, at least not beyond 6 years ago, and I care about the you that is here now” he smiled kindly, patting  Caleb's knee before leaning back “I’m happy to listen though, if you want me to know”

Caleb swallowed, nodding. The casual contact brought back memories of earlier in the day, of how comfortable and warm he had felt waking up wrapped up on the couch with Molly. 

But this was more important, Molly needed to know, even if the others didn’t believe him. He took a deep breath.

“I was born in a small town called Blumenthal; my parents were farmers. Our life was quiet... peaceful” he felt a rush of warmth, followed almost immediately by the usual rush of regret. 

“I had a knack for magic, and I loved it. I read everything I could, and my parents saved for years to get me into the  Soltyrce Academy when I was 10. I was  _ so _ excited; I would be taught by real masters... there was a library larger than our town hall!” he heard Molly snicker at that, and threw him a small smile before continuing “Two other children from my town went as well, we had known each other our whole lives...  Eodwulf , or Wulf as I called him... and Astrid” he shivered, putting his coffee mug down on the table.

“We did well, all of us, and Astrid in particular was... ambitious, strong, she wanted to get away from our old home. There was a teacher there, very well known, a genius they said. His name... his name was” Caleb felt like his throat was trying to close on him, the black fuzz coming in around his vision. A warm hand wrapped around his, he looked over to see Molly nodding at him encouragingly, he swallowed. 

“Trent. Trent  Ikithon ” the name tasted like bile on his tongue “he pulled Astrid from our classes first, she worshipped him from day one. Wulf followed soon after, he would follow Astrid anywhere... and then she came to me” he sighed “I thought I was in love with her... we were 13, she brought me in and...” Molly squeezed his hand “Trent thought he was a god among men, he was mad, but he convinced us that he  _ was _ a god. We didn’t realize it was all for him, he said he was training us to protect the Empire, and we were so  _ so  _ loyal” 

He could feel the tears in his eyes now, but he forced himself on

“We were brainwashed, convinced that everything we did was for the greater good. We...  _ I  _ killed people  Mollymauk ” he couldn’t bring himself to look up anymore. He spoke as briefly as he could about the abuse at  Ikithons hands, the way that the man wormed his way into their hearts and minds. He rolled up his sleeves with shaking hands to show the lines of scars that ran up both forearms, proof of his experimentation, and the small round scars on the inside of both elbows from years of constant injections at Vergesson. “Our final test was to kill another group of traitors; we were told it would take place after our spring vacation. We all went home, and each of us heard our parents plotting to overthrow the Empire, plotting to kill Trent” 

His heart rate was wild now, he had to finish this, Mollymauk had to know

“I killed them  Mollymauk . I blocked the doors to our home and set it ablaze” the tears were falling fast now, he didn’t care “I lost myself then, the sounds of the screams... of my  _ friends _ laughing while my family died... something snapped” he knew he was holding too tight to  Mollymauks hand, but he couldn’t bring himself to let go 

“I ran, I ran for days and went to the police” he scowled now “I confessed to everything, they put me in  Vergesson Asylum while they did the investigations... it turned out Trent, and by extension the rest of us, was linked to over 100 deaths. His other students, and he himself, had been doing this for years. He had created a cult, they all believed as we did... that he was a god walking among men” 

A soft sob escaped  Mollymauk , Caleb pushed on “while I was in the Asylum, they sent a cleric to perform a truth spell to ensure I was telling them everything... she was kind, and she cast a Greater Restoration first” Caleb looked up now,  Mollymauk was crying silently while he spoke, and Caleb felt a rush of affection “It was all a lie  Mollymauk ... the memories of my  parent's plots  were fake,  Trent's supposed godlike power was fake...  _ he  _ planted those memories in us” 

He sighed, he felt drained.

“The courts decided that I was a victim, they laid the blame for my parents' deaths on Trent... but I was in no state to go anywhere but back to  Vergesson ... I stayed there for 6 years, until I was a legal adult. I don’t remember the first 2 years at all... I was too unstable. With my magic... it was dangerous for the staff and other patients so they kept me sedated.” He saw  Mollymauk flinch “it was the right choice; I would have been a danger to myself and others... When I left, I had nothing, I stole to survive, which is how I met Veth” he smiled fondly at the memory “we’ve been together ever since” 

Mollymauk moved slowly, giving Caleb lots of time to stop him, before wrapping his arms around Caleb’s shoulders. Caleb hadn’t realized he was shaking until the he had the comforting pressure of the  Tieflings arms around him. As much as he wanted to just sink into the embrace, he had to explain  _ why _ he was telling  Mollymauk this. 

Unwilling to leave the warmth, he spoke into  Mollymauks shoulder.

“I tell you this not because I want to.... but because I need you to understand. I-I have seen Astrid, she is here in  Zadash and she is  _ dangerous _ .” He pulled back just enough to see  Mollymauks face “she is Trents most devoted student... follower... whatever term you prefer. She told me they would come for me one day, after I betrayed them” he looked directly into those bright red eyes, trying to convey all the fear and sorrow he felt “the others... Beau, Veth and Dr Pike... they don’t believe me but I  _ know _ it’s her. Everyone is in horrible danger because of me” (“ _ You _ are in danger because of me” said the voice in his mind). 

Mollymauk seemed to consider this for a moment, before he gently pulled Caleb in against him again. He pressed his cheek to the top of Caleb’s head and Caleb felt long nailed fingers slide through his hair. 

“I believe you Caleb” 

Mollymauks voice was soft, barely above a whisper, but it  reverberated in Caleb’s skull and he felt the tension in his shoulders relax, causing him to lean heavier against  Mollymauks chest.

“And if that bitch, or the old bastard, or any of them wants to get to you, they’ll have to go through me first”

There was a  fierceness in that statement, a dark edge to  Mollymauks voice that Caleb had never heard before. But that was  _ exactly _ what Caleb was trying to avoid

“ Mollymauk no, the whole reason I’ve told you is so you can be safe, I don’t  _ want _ them to-”

Mollymauk cut him off with a shushing noise 

“You’re my friend Caleb, I care about you” he paused, his hand still carding through  Caleb's hair “and I  _ know _ the others feel the same way. We’re family, no one messes with our family” 

Caleb swallowed against the lump in his throat, pressing his face against the soft fabric of  Mollymauks shirt to hide the new tears. 

\----

They sat like that for 49 minutes exactly, Caleb’s breathing evened out and his heart rate returned to normal before that... but he hadn’t been willing to move. He didn’t want to think about how  embarrassed he should be, breaking down like this... or wonder why he  _ wasn’t _ embarrassed. 

He also wasn’t going to think about why he felt so comfortable, wrapped up with Mollymauk.

Nope, that was a thought path he was  _ not _ prepared for right now. 

They were forced apart when both of their phones started going off,  Mollymauk pulled away with a sigh, keeping one arm around Caleb loosely while they both grabbed the loud things. Caleb’s was flashing “Beauregard” and he knew he should answer. He held it up with an apologetic sigh,  Mollymauk held up his, which said “ Yasha 🖤 ”. 

They stood, both answering as  Mollymauk squeezed his hand once more and walked over to his own room. Caleb watched him go.

“Caleb? You  there man?”

He jumped, right, the phone 

“Yes, hello Beauregard”

“... you okay man?”

Caleb thought about it for a moment and decided he might as well tell her

“I am... a bit shaken honestly” he took a breath “I told  Mollymauk about...about everything” 

There was silence on the line for a moment as he sat back down on the couch

“shit man, that’s... That's a lot. You okay? I mean, other than obviously not? Do I need to come over there now and kick his purple ass?” 

He huffed out a laugh “no, no he... he took it very well actually” his eyes strayed to  Mollymauks door.

“Well... good” he heard her sigh “I actually... I know you said we’re good or whatever but like... I was hoping we could talk tonight? Just us?” 

Oh, it was going to be a  _ very _ long day... “of course we can, you don’t need to ask” 

He could hear the relief in her voice “okay, okay cool. Cool  cool , yeah  so we’re just grabbing some snacks and stuff and then we’ll be there... so like, an hour ish?” 

“Sounds perfect, we’ll be here” 

“See you soon bro”

Caleb hung up feeling a strange mix of relief and dread. He had already had a wildly emotional morning and afternoon, and now he was in for another discussion about things he would rather not talk about... but he was going to spend the night with his family. They would eat junk food, and drink, and watch something cheesy and awful... and maybe things would be easy for a few hours. 

Mollymauk came out of him room soon after, a soft smile on his face as he looked at Caleb 

“They should be here soon, I’m going to jump in the shower”

Caleb nodded, not quite able to hold the red gaze, he jumped when a warm hand was placed ever-so-gently on his shoulder. He looked up, chewing on his lip slightly.

Mollymauk was still smiling

“This will be fun, don’t worry” 

Caleb smiled back and nodded, and with one last pat to his shoulder and a light kiss on the top of his head, Mollymauk walked back to the bathroom. 

Caleb puttered around the apartment for a while, supervised by  Frumpkin as he shoved the couch right up against the wall to make a bit more room between it and the table. He only jumped a little when the apartment door flew open, turning to smile as Beauregard held up grocery bags like trophies.

“We’re here to par-taaaaaay"

Caleb felt his smile grow as  Yasha , Fjord, Jester,  Caduceus and Veth all followed Beauregard in. His family, all together again... what absolute peace. They were all carrying either grocery bags or duffle bags, and Caleb knew he was in for a good night.

After about 20 minutes of hugs, hellos, and everyone shuffling around to put drinks in the fridge or snacks in bowls, they all finally settled in the living room. Jester had gone into  Mollymauks room and stolen all of his pillows and blankets, dragging them out to create a nest in the living room after  Yasha pushed the table up against the bookshelves. Caleb could swear he hadn’t smiled this much in weeks, and maybe it was just the extra sleep, but he hadn’t felt this  _ alive _ either. 

As the others debated movies VS TV VS music, Beauregard walked up, looking sheepish.

“Hey... could we talk?” 

He nodded, heading towards his room. Beauregard followed him and he shut the door lightly when they were both inside. He turned to look, and couldn’t help but smile fondly when he caught sight of  Beauregard's face. 

“Beauregard-” she cut him off

“No, no listen man...” she paused briefly “I fucked up, no seriously I did” she insisted when he made a face “I should have been more... supportive or whatever. Even if... no matter what I thought, you’re my brother and I should have been there for you” 

She was looking down now, a frustrated look on her face. Caleb sighed; he knew that what he had told her was hard to believe.  Of course, he had  _ wanted _ her to believe him anyway... but he understood why she hadn’t. He walked forward, pausing right in front of her and waiting for her to look up.

“I know that you would fight the world for me, as I would for you” he held his arms out wide “this is nothing, siblings are supposed to argue” 

She smiled at him and accepted the hug, squeezing just a little too tight. 

“I’m going to talk to Dairon” she said into his shoulder “Even if the cops haven’t found anything, maybe the Cobalt Soul will”

Caleb felt warmth bloom in his chest at her words. They stood that way for exactly 2 minutes and 13 seconds, before they both pulled away smiling. 

Without a word they both walked toward the door, Caleb pulling it open so they could re-join the group. Fjord and Caduceus had poured drinks for everyone, Caleb was flattered to see they had brought a bottle of the honey whiskey he liked. It tasted wonderful in Caduceus’s new tea blend. When  Mollymauk finally emerged from the bathroom (clad in a pair of his softest pants and a well-worn  tank top ), the others were arguing about which movie to watch. 

Caleb had been watching passively, he really didn’t care what they watched, he was just happy to have the warmth of Beauregard against his side and Veth leaning against his knees. He looked up and smiled at  Mollymauk ... he couldn’t think of a time he  _ hadn’t _ wanted to smile at Mollymauk. 

The  Tiefling smiled back, grabbing a drink from the makeshift drink tray that was their side table and walking over. He managed to tiptoe around everyone and settle himself on  Caleb's other side, which brought an unexpected warmth to Caleb’s cheeks. 

“What are we arguing about?” Mollymauk asked cheerfully 

“Which movie to watch!” Jester pouted “I wanted a  _ romance _ but-”

“No. More. Softcore. Porn” Beauregard said through gritted teeth. 

Caleb snickered, watching  Mollymauk grab the controller and start flipping channels. He paused  briefly on each one, as he always did when they watched together, and Caleb grabbed his hand  instinctively when a familiar opening image popped up.

He turned to smile at  Mollymauk “you’ll like this one”

He blushed as Beauregard nudged his other shoulder “will the rest of us like it?” 

He had forgotten... oops.

“Well, maybe? It’s very old but it’s a classic” 

Jester clapped as the title of the movie showed up on screen

“My Momma  _ loves _ this movie! We definitely  ** need ** to watch it!”

And so, they settled in, watching the beautiful half-elf woman and her pretty human friend act as old-time showgirls. Jester knew the words to all the songs, and sang along happily. Caleb was more content than he had been in what felt like ages. He was quite literally surrounded by his family, with drinks and snacks and one of his  favourite old movies playing. He couldn’t think of a better way to spend his night. 

Once the movie was over,  Yasha and  Mollymauk stepped out onto the balcony while the others started picking the next form of entertainment. Caleb tried not to pout, especially when he noticed Beauregard watching him with a knowing glint in her eye. He glared at her, there was nothing  _ to  _ know, at least as far as he was concerned.

…

Though, he couldn’t help but notice how  Mollymauks eyes seemed to glow in the reflected light on  the balcony . He tried his best to push that thought away.

Part Two:

Molly

Molly felt like his heart was breaking, it was a feeling he really wasn’t used to. Caleb’s story, everything he had been through, it  _ hurt _ on a level Molly wasn’t even sure he understood. It had taken everything in him not to just bundle Caleb up on that couch and hold him there until all of it went away. He had settled for a long hug, once the man had finished talking, because he knew it was important. 

(“That old bastard....” Molly thought viciously as he got in the shower “he had better watch out if he thinks he can come after Caleb here...”)

Then there was the girl... Astrid. Molly’s blood boiled thinking of what she had done, lured Caleb into that... that  _ cult _ , gotten him mixed up with an abusive ass who apparently thought he was a god. Molly found that he hated her. If she tried to lay a finger on Caleb...

He understood now, why Caleb had been so stressed lately, anyone would be if a person like that came back into their life. She was straight up  _ stalking _ him if Caleb was right about things, and Molly was certain that he was. Well, he had meant what he said to Caleb, if she wanted to get to him, she would have to go through Molly (and the rest of the Nein) first. 

He sighed, trying to use the hot water to calm  himself down. Their friends were arriving, he could hear them outside the bathroom now. Reluctantly, he climbed out of the shower and dried off, pulling on some of his comfiest clothes.

“Okay” he mumbled to himself as he oiled his horns “you just  gotta act completely normal, and like Caleb didn’t just tell you the most rage inducing story on  earth” his reflection looked back at him  skeptically “yeah, it’s  gonna be rough. Just do it”

He stepped out of the bathroom to a very familiar scene, his crazy family all curled up in piles of blankets and pillows (including  _ his _ pillows and comforter) on the floor arguing about... something.

Caleb looked up and caught his eye, and smiled that affectionate “ _ I’m glad you’re here”  _ smile that always made Molly’s heart do the stupid flip-flop thing. 

Once he had done his rounds of hellos and gotten himself settled on the floor next to Caleb, trying to ignore the fact that once again that was the only open spot (clearly his friends were either pure evil or absolutely wonderful), he stole the remote from the arguing Beau and Jester and started flipping channels. He jumped when Caleb grabbed his hand to stop on a movie, and smiled when  Caleb's cheeks went red as he seemed to realize the others were there. 

Luckily, Jester saved the day and demanded that “ _ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” _ be left on. 

They spent the entirety of the movie doing what they always did on movie nights, eating junk food and drinking questionably mixed beverages. Caduceus had brought some kind of  lemon-based tea, which Molly skipped over in  favour of one of the fruity vodka coolers  Yasha had brought for him. He noticed that Caleb had taken the tea, but was drinking it iced with that golden whiskey he liked so much from Gus’s. Caleb had been right about the movie, Molly liked how cheesy and lighthearted it was. It was exactly what he needed to try and keep his mind off of that morning. 

Molly caught  Yasha’s eye when the ending credits started to roll, she nodded and untangled herself from where she had been curled up with Jester and Beau. He tilted his head toward the balcony and she followed along. As he got to the door, he turned and he could have  _ sworn  _ he caught a little pout forming on Caleb’s face... until Beau elbowed him with a  _ very _ cheeky look on hers. He resolved to absolutely make sure that he spilled something on her for that one. 

\---

Once he and  Yasha were out on the balcony, with the door tightly shut, he sighed and looked up at her. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to speak, and Molly was  _ sure _ he could see the little knowing light in her eyes. 

He was quiet for a moment too long though, and her expression softened 

“What did you want to talk about Mols?”

Alright, here goes nothing.

“Yash... have you ever looked at someone, and felt like all the air just got sucked out of your lungs? But like... in a good way?” he looked away, out over the quiet streets below “I don’t know if that makes sense...”

Yasha wrapped her arms around him with a hum “oh Molly, I think you already know what that feeling is” 

He snuggled in against her, wrapping his arms around the taller  womans’ waist and speaking into her sweater 

“I think so... maybe, but I don’t know what to  _ do _ about it” she stroked his hair fondly, as she had done thousands of times before

“Well... that depends, what do you  _ want _ to do?”

“I don’t know” he said again, exasperated “I don’t even really know if he likes guys” 

That realization hit as he said the words, he had never heard Caleb talk about that sort of thing... the only person he had mentioned was this girl from his past, this  _ Astrid _ . Molly felt a little bubble of jealousy, despite how stupid that was.

“I don’t think you need to worry about that one Molly” he looked up at her so quickly that his neck cricked, she chuckled.

“Tell me what you know!”

“According to Beau, Caleb doesn’t really care about gender”

Molly smiled up at her, and she smiled back. That was one worry gone at least.  Of course ... there were other factors. Caleb had a lot on his plate after all... and Molly didn’t want to add to that. He sighed.

“I think... I think for now I’m just  gonna keep doing things the same way, Caleb has... he has a lot to deal with” he stepped back, looking in through the glass door to see Caleb laughing at something that had Beau scowling back playfully “I know Beau knows about it, and I think he’s planning to tell you all at some point... but I don’t want to add stress”

He caught her  eyes and saw sympathy there “I just want to be there to help when he needs it”

“That’s up to you Molly, but for the record...I don’t think he would complain about adding you in” she said, dropping a light kiss on his head “now let's go back in before they kill each other” 

They watched another movie, this one much more modern, a thriller from a few years back about a creepy possessed doll. At one point, Caleb had grabbed his knee instinctively as a massive  jump scare went off. Molly peeked out of the corner of his eye, but  Caleb's eyes were glued to the screen, so Molly wrapped his arm ever so lightly around  Caleb's shoulders. Caleb didn’t move, so neither did Molly, just giving him a slight squeeze whenever he jumped or gasped. 

It was getting late now, and they were all fairly well into their drinks at this point. The others were debating between two different movies to finish off the night, when Caleb leaned over and whispered into Molly’s ear

“Could we talk in the  _ küche _ ?”

For a moment Molly was confused, as cute as  Zemnian was, he still didn’t understand most of it, but he nodded anyway. Caleb stood up, wobbling just a little before holding out a hand to help Molly. 

“And just where do you think  _ you two _ are  goin ’?” Beau asked, smirking

“We are both out of drinks if you must know Beauregard” Caleb said, waving his glass and rolling his eyes “unless  _ you _ would like to get up and get  zem for us?” 

Beau stuck her tongue out and flipped him off with a smirk before going back to the movie debate with Jester. Molly couldn’t help but notice how much thicker Caleb’s accent got when he drank, and Gods if that wasn’t just too cute.

Once they were in the kitchen, Caleb started slowly pulling all the things he needed for his drink out, and digging around for a bottle opener for Molly.

“I wanted to say...  _ danke _ _ ”  _ Caleb said quietly, Molly tilted his head, leaning back against the counter while the ginger continued to mix his drink 

“For what love?” 

Caleb seemed to go just a bit  pinker at the endearment, though it could have been the booze 

“For this morning, for... being so understanding and-and kind about everything” 

He caught Molly’s eye then, and Molly was struck all over again by just how gods-damned  _ blue _ those eyes were. It had to be something to do with  Caleb's magic, there was no other  explanation . 

Molly leaned in slightly, pretending to be reaching across the counter to put away the bottle opener while bringing himself close enough that he  _ could _ have placed a  surreptitious kiss on Caleb’s cheek. He could smell the warm honey scent of the liquor on Caleb’s breath... and he pulled away. 

“ Nothin ’ to thank me for, I meant it when I said I’m here for you.” 

Before Caleb could respond a  wadded-up piece of paper flew at them from the living room 

“Yo! Quit making out and get your asses over here or you lose your spots, we picked a movie!” 

“Fuck you Beau!” he called back, straightening up and heading toward the living room reluctantly, Molly mentally kicking himself for not just taking the opportunity when it had been there. 

They settled in, and spent the rest of the night just enjoying the warm comfort of being surrounded by the people who loved them most. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Molly knows! 
> 
> Age stuff: Caleb is about 25/26 in this story, 2 years with the cult, 6 years in the Asylum, 4 years with Veth (including the time at University)
> 
> As a small author note: I managed to slice half the tip of my finger off a couple days ago, I have most of the next chapter written but it might be a -little bit- of a slower update. I also keep getting distracted by the drama I have planned for the next few chapters and jumping around a bit 😅


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Backstory! Soft Boys! Scary Movies!
> 
> This is really just the story of Caleb the Sad Boy and his Emotional Support Teifling.  
> #LetCalebWidogastCry2K20

Chapter Twelve

Part One: Caleb

Caleb woke for the third morning in a row warm, comfortable, and without the racing heartbeat he had become so accustomed to. The Nein had all slept over, piled in among all the blankets and pillows they could gather. Caleb sighed happily, opening his eyes just enough to take in the sight. Veth had curled up against his side, tucked up the same way  Frumpkin usually did. Beauregard's back was pressed up against his other side, her head rested on  Yasha’s chest and Jester snuggled up with them both. Fjord had his head rested on  Caduceus's legs, and  Mollymauk was... gone?

What?

Caleb sat up, trying not to disturb the others, and looked around. There was an empty space in the pile between himself and Caduceus where  Mollymauk must have been. A flash of lavender in his  peripheral caught his eye and he turned groggily to look toward the kitchen. He felt a smile slide into place, clearly his roommate had been very busy while they had been snoozing away. 

There were plates all along the kitchen island, toast and eggs and pancakes... and it smelled like bacon was next. He stood, moving slowly so as not to wake the others, chuckling quietly when Veth scooted over in her sleep to curl up against Beauregard's back. He tiptoed carefully through the mountain of blankets towards the delicious smell. Mollymauk looked over his shoulder as Caleb got into the kitchen, smiling brightly at him

“Good morning  Mr Caleb” he said quietly, turning back to the pan “I was just going to start the coffee”

Caleb walked over and started pulling out the coffee and filters 

“How long have you been up  Mollymauk ?”

He shrugged, still smiling even as his expression softened “I just figured... it would be nice to have something yummy to laze around with”

Coffee started, Caleb walked over to the  Mollymauks other side and started washing out the used pans. They were quiet for a  few minutes, nothing but the sound of sizzling bacon and sudsy water. Caleb sighed as he put the last pan (other than the one currently full of bacon), he had been planning to talk to the group yesterday but he had been having too much fun. He knew he needed to talk to them today though, telling  Mollymauk had only cemented his belief that they all needed to know what was going on. 

“Copper for your thoughts?” 

He looked over to see a pair of shining red eyes looking back at him 

Caleb smiled, though he knew it probably looked a little nervous

“I am... going to tell the others today”  Mollymauk raised an eyebrow “I know they may not believe that Astrid has returned, but they deserve to know” he looked away, unable to hold the warm gaze “I want to- I  _ need _ to keep all of you safe from my mistakes”

Mollymauk put a hand gently on  Caleb's arm, pulling his eyes back into that red stare, Caleb felt a twinge somewhere in his ribcage at the look of concern on the  Tieflings face.  Mollymauk opened his mouth to say something but before he could-

“Is that BACON? Fuckin’ sweet man”

Caleb jumped as  Beauregard's voice rang out from the living room and the hand on his arm whipped away, leaving a chill where it had been. 

Everyone else was raising up slowly, mumbling and  sniffing the air. Slowly but  surely, they all made their way to the kitchen, Caleb pulled out a stack of plates and the pancake toppings (fruit, syrup, butter and whipped cream) and set them up with the cutlery just as  Mollymauk put the full plate of bacon out. 

“What a spread, thanks guys” Fjord said with a smile, everyone else echoed the sentiment. Beauregard mumbling through a mouthful of bacon. 

“It was all  Mollymauks doing, I only washed the dishes” Caleb said, smiling over at the Tiefling in question. He was surprised to see a dark purple blush spread across his cheeks before the unmistakable ‘ Mollymauk Smirk’ appeared and he took a bow. 

They all loaded up plates, Caleb tried to take as much as he could, he still wasn’t  particularly hungry but  Mollymauk had clearly worked hard on it. Once everyone was settled back in the living room, the table having been pulled back into the center so they could all sit squished around it on the floor. Jester was trying to put whipped cream on Beauregard’s nose without her noticing, but it wasn’t going well. Caleb picked at his plate, listening to his  friends' banter back and forth and trying to decide when he should drop the proverbial bomb on this party.

“So, anybody ‘ ave plans  f’r today?” asked Beauregard through a  mouthful of pancakes, Fjord elbowed her lightly and muttered “manners Beau, remember?”

She rolled her eyes and waved him off with her fork, swallowed the pancakes and looked around, clearly waiting for an answer.

Fjord shook his head, so did  Mollymauk with a little shrug, Caleb wasn’t sure if he was imagining it but he  _ thought _ the sharp  Tiefling eyes darted over to him briefly.

Yasha shrugged as well “I’ve got work, but not until later”

Jester and Veth broke out in  identical grins before Jester all but shouted

“We’re going to the flower shop! Veth has made me her  _ totally official _ wedding planner!” Veth nodded at this, beaming around “We also need to start planning the bridal shower!” 

She looked sheepishly towards Caleb now and he raised an  eyebrow curiously

“I know like...  _ technically _ that would be you job” Caleb felt his eyes go wide in horror at the idea “but-but!” she held up her hands placatingly “I was thinking that like,  maaaaybe you’d rather if I planned it?  Since you don’t really  _ like _ planning stuff?”

Caleb felt his shoulders drop in relief and he nodded, smiling “yes, I think everyone would enjoy it much more that way”

She clapped happily and pulled out her sketchbook, clearly writing something in it. 

Caduceus smiled “I’ve got to head back to the shop soon, Clarabelle is watching it now but she  get s a little uh... rambunctious when she’s alone too long” 

That reminded Caleb, he had told Dr Pike he would ask Caduceus about the tea... He looked over at his tall friend and took a breath

“Caduceus?”

“hmm?”

“I was wondering... if it wouldn’t be too much trouble... would you be able to put together some of that tea you used to make for me?” Caduceus looked thoughtful, so Caleb clarified “the one to help me sleep”

Recognition filled the  firbolgs pale pink eyes and he nodded

“oh well su-”

“Are you still not sleeping?” Veth cut him off, then she blushed and looked over at him “sorry Caddy”

He shook his head, smiling “no problem at all” he turned to Caleb again “and sure, I can whip some up for you”

Caleb sighed “I would appreciate that,  _ danke”  _

He turned his attention to Veth, who was looking at him with a worried expression that he could already see echoed on their friends faces. 

Well... might as well jump right in. 

“No, I haven’t been sleeping well lately” he took a deep breath “I have been having nightmares ever since the 18 th , when I saw Astrid again” 

Beauregard dropped her fork, Veth gasped and  Mollymauk reached out a hand, stopping just before he actually made contact. The others mostly looked confused, Jester looking up from her book when she registered the other  girls' reactions. 

“Who’s Astrid?” Fjord asked, looking from Beau and Veth to Caleb, his brow furrowed

“She... she was one of my best friends, who now wants me either dead or back in the cult I betrayed ten years ago”

This statement was met with absolute silence, his friends staring at him with expressions that ranged from shock, to fear, to compassion and sadness. He forced another deep breath, and he began to speak.

He told them about Blumenthal, about  Soltryce , about Trent and his godlike power. He talked about Astrid and Wulf’s devotion, about his own. He talked about the torture, the abuse, the brainwashing... he heard Jester gasp when he got to this point in the story and he started to shake. He rolled up his sleeves, putting the scars on display for the second time in 24 hours.  Mollymauk took his hand then, and he didn’t pull away. When he told them about his parents, about what he had been made to do, Jester let out a sob. In his peripheral he saw Beauregard put an arm around her comfortingly. 

He talked about the police, about being taken to the asylum, and the kind cleric who showed him the truth. Fjord looked ready to be sick when he told them that he had been lied to, that he had done all those horrible things under control and false pretenses.  Yasha looked murderous. He talked about the years he couldn’t remember, and the skimmed over the ones he could. 

“And then, I met Veth in prison... we escaped and well... you know the rest” he  finished; his throat  raw from all the talking. Jester was crying silently and holding  Veths hand,  Beauregard's arm still around her.  Yasha was going between looking like she wanted to hunt down anyone involved and kill them brutally, and looking like she wanted to wrap Caleb up. Fjord looked  nauseous; his hands  clenched so hard onto the table edge that his knuckles were pale. Caduceus just looked sad, which was awful to see on his usually content face.

“ So, you see... I have put you all in horrible danger” Caleb felt the lump form in his throat “even after all these years I am still a monster, I still bring danger to everyone I love” 

He felt a tear roll down his cheek at the same time that  Mollymauks hand tightened in his 

“I am- I am so sorry” his voice broke, and he fixed his eyes on his lap.

There was complete silence (other than Jesters sniffling) for a full 2 minutes before  Beauregard's voice came through

“Caleb, man. I  _ told _ you already, you were a fucking  ** kid ** ” he shook his head

“She’s right Caleb” acme Veth’s voice “you were brainwashed, you were  _ tortured _ ” __

There was a  murmur of agreement from the others, but Caleb only shook his head harder. 

They didn’t understand, they were in  _ danger _ and it was  _ his fault _

He stood up, unable to handle the press of bodies so close to him. He paced away, turning to look at them once he was a few feet away

“Even if, and that’s a  _ big if _ , I could ever be forgiven for what I did while I was in the cult. Which I shouldn’t be” he held up a hand as Beauregard went to interrupt “I have still put  ** you ** all in danger!” He stared directly around at each person individually, ending on  Mollymauk “These people are incredibly dangerous!” He could hear his voice getting louder, but couldn’t seem to control  it “ They are violent, and well trained, and  _ powerful _ . Just the fact that they have managed to evade the law for  ** ten  ** **_ fucking years _ ** should have you terrified”

They all looked a little shocked, he never raised his voice but once he had  started, he couldn’t stop. They  _ had _ to understand. He was shaking in earnest now, and he knew the tears were continuing to fall, but he could barely feel them. 

Veth stood up, walking over slowly and reaching out to take on balled fist between her small hands. She looked up at him, tears in her warm brown eyes.

“Caleb, we  _ do  _ understand, we know they’re dangerous... but we love you, and that’s all there is to it”

Oh.  Oh that hurt, Caleb could have sworn his heart broke. He dropped to his knees and had his arms wrapped around her before he could think about it. He felt small, warm arms wrap around his chest and heard a commotion as everyone else got up. Before he knew it there were five other sets of arms wrapped around him, and Caleb sobbed. 

\----

Caleb did his best not to track the amount of time he spent wrapped up with his friends on the floor, his tears had stopped a little while ago, and now he was just using the comforting warmth to steady his heartbeat.

When they finally split up, it was only to drag Caleb back over to the blanket pile,  Yasha moving the coffee table easily while the others made a nest. Jester put on the food network quietly in the background. Beauregard was the first to actually speak

“Look man, I know you want to protect us, and I know we can’t just like...  _ talk _ you out of your trauma” she paused to look up at him from where she was laying on a pile of pillows by his knee “but we’re  _ family _ , we’re the only family that most of us have... and we’re going to stick with you” 

Caleb looked up to see the others all nodding along, determined expressions on their oh-so-familiar faces. He smiled back weakly, unable to find the words to express the swelling warmth he felt in his chest. 

They didn’t hate him

They didn’t even blame him

They  _ loved  _ him

They wanted to be there for him

So, instead of trying to express it in words, he just smiled, put a hand on  Beauregard's shoulder, and held Veth’s hand with the other. He knew he was home. 

Part Two

Molly

Molly did his best to stay close to Caleb for the rest of the day. Caduceus, Veth, and Jester all left around noon, after a light lunch of cold breakfast leftovers. Caduceus promised to swing by the next evening with the tea for Caleb. That left  Yasha , Beau, Fjord, Caleb and himself, at least until  Yasha had to head to work in the evening. 

“ So, what do you guys want to do?” Beau asked, still nibbling on a piece of cold bacon “we’ve got a few hours till Yash has to go to work...  wanna go to a movie or something?”

That could be fun... Molly hadn’t been to a movie in ages. He watched Caleb out of the corner of his eye (a habit he had picked up lately, that he refused to examine) and saw the uncertainty.

“ Actually, that sounds fun, there’s a new horror movie out I’ve been wanting to see” said  Yasha thoughtfully. 

While Beau and  Yasha argued with and teased Fjord about his aversion to horror movies, Molly scooted closer to Caleb. 

“Hey” he said as softly as he could, Caleb still jumped slightly before tilting his head toward Molly and catching his eye. Molly gave himself exactly 5 seconds to internally admire the sparkling blue before he continued.

“Are you okay going out? You know we would look out for you”  Caleb's face went from confused,  to soft in a split second, a small smile sliding into place

“I know you would” Caleb whispered back ( Molly's heart skipped a beat) “and if everyone wants to go... I will” Caleb broke the eye contact “but I think I will still be nervous” 

Molly leaned in just a little closer, his lips barely a breath away from  Caleb's ear “you can hold my hand if you get scared” 

Caleb’s cheeks turned that adorable pink  colour , and Molly leaned back just a touch to admire it better, smirking at him all the while. 

There was a  brief pause before Caleb responded, just as quietly

“And if I am  _ not _ scared?” Molly blinked, confused, as Caleb turned to face him, cheeks still flushed but eyes sparkling  mischievously “what then,  Mollymauk ?” 

This. This is how Molly would die, he was sure, heart attack caused by a pair of too-blue eyes and an accented whisper. 

“UGH can you two  _ quit making out  _ already and tell the fraidy-cat that we’re going to the  moooovies ”

They jumped apart, and Molly knew he was blushing just as much as Caleb was.

He turned and glared at Beau “listen Unpleasant One...” but Caleb cut him off

“I think a movie would be a perfect way to spend the next few hours”

After a moment of stunned silence, Beau jumped up and punched the air with a shout of victory. They all got dressed, Caleb shutting himself in his room while everyone else just changed in the living room. Molly pulled on his ripped jeans, a black sleeve-less shirt with a  Ouija board planchet on it and tying a plaid shirt around his waist. He shoved his phone and wallet into his pockets and turning to Fjord.

“So... how much are you going to whine if we go see the horror movie?” he asked with a smirk

Fjord sighed “I’ll go if it’s what  y’all want to see, but I don’t get it” 

He nodded “good man!” 

“ Caleeeeeeb , hurry up!” Beau yelled from the front door. 

Molly turned towards  Caleb's room and felt his smirk flicker slightly as the door opened and Caleb stepped out. 

Caleb had on a very soft looking deep purple shirt, a pair of dark grey jeans, and his canvas messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He had his hair brushed and pulled back in a loose pony at the nape of his neck again, a few errant strands hanging around his face. He looked up from whatever he was putting in his bag and smiled at Molly. 

Molly’s knew his brain should  _ not  _ misfire over something as simple as this, it wasn’t anything out of this world. It was a sweater and  _ dad pants _ for fucks sake... but here he was. 

“Let’s  goooooooo ” 

“ _ Ja  _ _ ja _ we’re coming” Caleb smiled at him one more time before heading for the door. 

\----

They all piled into the  Stormcloud , Beau sitting up front and the boys sitting in the back. Caleb was fine until they got to the theater, once they were parked and walking towards the  building, he seemed to shrink into himself. Molly noticed his eyes darting around, as he fidgeted with the clasp on his bag. Molly elbowed  Yasha lightly, tilting his head in Caleb’s direction.  Yasha watched for a moment before nodding and, as subtly as they could, they moved closer to walk on either side of the wizard. Beau and Fjord caught on and started walking  just behind him. Molly smiled to himself when Caleb seemed to relax, even if it was just a bit. 

They lined up, chatting happily about nothing. It felt like just what they needed after the emotional ride from a few hours before. 

“Okay, game plan” said Beau, pulling them into a huddle in the main lobby “Molly, Caleb: go save seats, the rest of us will get snacks” 

Caleb raised an eyebrow “shouldn’t the larger group get the seats?”

Beau rolled her eyes “no! We need more hands to carry all the snacks” she smirked “and besides, now you two can go be all gross  _ before _ we get there”

Caleb just sighed, rolled his eyes back at her and strode away. Before following, Molly stuck his tongue out at Beau, flipped her off, and winked. 

He caught up to Caleb a few feet away and giggled when he saw the  wizard's pink cheeks. Caleb looked at him and was clearly trying to glare, but the blush ruined the effect somewhat. Molly pouted at him as they slowed down and walked at a more comfortable speed towards the theater. They found some seats up near the back, Molly always felt bad making his friends sit so far away, but it was better than dealing with ignorant assholes making nasty comments about his horns. As if he could control the fact that they existed? Ugh.

They laid coats on two seats, but Caleb seemed reluctant to put his bag down to save another.

“Got the good drinks in there Mr. Caleb?” Molly asked playfully, hoping to figure out what was going on. Caleb jumped a little, looking from his bag to Molly and back before saying in a quiet... almost  _ embarrassed _ voice

“Ah- no... I... I brought my  spell book , and some components... just-just in case” 

Molly paused at that, and then, as gentle as he could, pulled Caleb down into the middle seat next to him. 

“If anyone tries to take the other  seat, we’ll just make Beau sit on  Yasha’s lap, I bet she’d love it” 

Caleb looked up at him and smiled sheepishly, gratitude shining in his eyes.

In no time the others had arrived, and there were seats for everyone. Snacks were handed out, drinks placed in holders and everyone settled in. Fjord and  Yasha took the outermost seats, with Molly and Beau flanking Caleb. 

The movie was pretty good, if you liked extremely cheesy and over-done horror flicks. Molly, Caleb and Beau spent most of it whispering jokes and  criticisms back and forth.  Yasha listened in, but didn’t seem to mind it...Fjord was definitely scared. It proved to be just the right thing to take their minds off of everything else for a few hours. By the time it was over,  Yasha needed to head to work. She dropped Molly and Caleb off on the way, Beau was going with her and Fjords place was on the other side of the bar. 

Molly felt Caleb relax the moment they walked through the wards; he had gotten used to the faint buzz under his skin by now, but clearly it was exactly what Caleb was hoping for. They both set about removing the cold-weather layers before splitting off to change. Molly had liked the purple on Caleb, but he had to admit that seeing him back in his cozies was sweet. Molly grabbed a bowl of chips from earlier and wandered over to the couch, pulling his comforter off the floor to wrap around himself. Caleb came over a few minutes later, carrying two bottles of water and a book. He sat one bottle on the table close to Molly, then sat himself sideways on the other end of the couch. Molly watched as the human rested his back against the armrest, pulling his knees up so he didn’t  encroach on Molly’s space and started flipping through his book. 

Molly rolled his eyes, reached out and tugged  Caleb's legs so that they were rested on his lap. Caleb looked up, uncertain and Molly just smiled 

“we have quite literally slept together several times now  hun , get comfy” 

The teasing did it’s intended  job; Caleb’s ears went pink and he looked back at his book. 

He did, however, scoot down a bit, rolling his shoulders against the well-loved arm of the couch before pulling his book back up. Molly admired Caleb’s love of books; the way he would get so engrossed in what he was reading that he could block out the world. Molly liked stories, but reading had never been his forte. Or at least, not that he could remember. When  Yasha had shown him audiobooks way back when, he had been  _ thrilled,  _ he had a fairly extensive collection now. He wondered what Caleb was reading... the cover looked cool, with raised lettering and  designs...

It took him a moment to realize that the page turning sounds had stopped. He blinked, taking in the curious blue stare and raised eyebrow on  Calebs face. 

“Something wrong Mollymauk?”

He shrugged, smiling “no, nothing! I was just thinking that I wish I could read like you do” 

Caleb tilted his head, brow furrowed now

“I mean, I can  _ read,  _ Yasha taught me... but audiobooks are a lot easier” he shrugged again “I was just thinking I should grab some new ones... what book is that you have?”

Caleb blushed “it ah...it is a book of old  Zemnian fairytales” he looked  away; Molly wished he wouldn’t “they are  children's stories really... but I find them comforting”

“Read one to me?” 

Caleb seemed to consider it, and for a moment Molly thought he was going to say no, but today was a day for surprises apparently... Caleb flipped back a few pages and started to read. 

The book was in  Zemnian , but Molly found that he really didn’t mind. Caleb's voice was soft, the accent much more at home when he spoke his mother tongue. 

They spent an hour or so like that,  Frumpkin having joined in to sit on Molly’s lap and snooze. When they finally went to bed, Molly was pleasantly sleepy. 

However, he didn’t close his door like he usually did. Molly had a  _ feeling _ that he would need to be able to hear the rest of the apartment tonight. 

And Molly never,  _ ever _ ignored a feeling.

\----

Molly sat up as soon as he heard the dull * thunk * from the room next to his. He had been waiting for it, after everything Caleb had been through today. Spilling your trauma in front of all of your friends wasn't something that left a person feeling calm and composed after all. He walked out of his room  quickly and quietly, headed for Caleb’s partially open door. He paused  briefly to scratch the top of  Frumpkins head reassuringly. 

" _ Nein.. _ _ nein _ __ _ bitte _ " 

If it hadn't been for Molly's excellent hearing, he may have missed the soft plea. He pushed the door open the rest of the way quietly, taking in the scene in front of him. Caleb's bed was a mess of tangled blankets, pillows thrown about everywhere and Caleb… 

"Oh darling…." Molly whispered, seeing the shivering man on the floor next to the bed. He looked like he was still asleep, curled in the fetal position with his red hair wild around his face. Molly was beside him in two long strides, sitting with his back against the bed and pulling  the shaking man up against his chest, arms wound around his shoulders. 

" Shhh darling, I'm here. You're okay I swear" he muttered softly, rubbing small circles into Caleb's back. 

" _ Nein _ ... Molly  _ bitte _ , run…" Caleb's voice was raspy, shaking as his hands clenched against Molly's chest, Molly was fairly certain that Caleb wasn’t really awake. 

"Darling I'm not going anywhere, it's okay Caleb, there's no one here. I've got you" 

Molly spoke softly, calmly, one of his hands moving to run fingers through Caleb's knotted tresses. Molly loved getting to see it down, as well as the ponytail suited him, it felt more comfortable... intimate even. Caleb shifted slightly, looking up at Molly's face, but Molly was fairly sure he wasn’t actually seeing him, Caleb’s eyes were glazed and confused. 

"M-molly?"  Caleb's voice was soft and shaky 

"That's right dear, I'm here." Molly said softly, smiling at the other man "I've got you, you're okay" 

" _ Nein  _ _ Kätzchen _ the fire, the fire will kill you if you…. If you don't…." He trailed off, his breathing shallow and erratic, peppered with mumbled Zemnian, he definitely wasn’t properly awake.

"No one else is here Caleb, take a deep breath for me okay? Like this…. In 2, 3, 4… out 2,3,4…" he modeled the slow, deep breaths and smiled again as Caleb began to mimic him.

After a few rounds of this Molly could feel Caleb's heartbeat slowing to a more reasonable pace. 

"That's right love, absolutely wonderful."

Molly continued stroking Caleb's hair, whispering soothing nonsense as the shaking slowly subsided. Eventually Caleb's breathing evened out, and Molly knew he was asleep. Molly slowly removed the hand from Caleb's hair, reached up and grabbed a blanket from the bed behind them, pulling it over them both before he resumed carding his fingers through the long auburn hair. He briefly considered trying to move them both back to the bed...but decided against it. Before he knew it, his own eyes were sliding closed, and sleep claimed him once more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I'm invested in non-sexual sleeping together tropes.   
> Now everyone knows what's up, and yessssss Caleb does a flirt. One single flirt (He's trying his best.) and Molly is flustered. There's a lot more blatant pining in the next few chapters, now that Molly is aware of what's happening in his poor lil' heart. 
> 
> I have a couple chapters ready, and I'm planned out until chapter 20-ish now. Fun-fact: the nightmare scene at the end of this chapter (and the scene at the beginning of the next chapter) was one of the first I actually wrote for this story (I revised it a few times as I was writing the rest, but yeah)


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb is Flustered! Caleb Also Gets Sleep! Molly Gets A Spa Day! Infernal!

Part One

Caleb

Caleb was…. Warm. 

Warm, and comfortable, with what felt like a weighted blanket wrapped around his shoulders. The smell of jasmine and patchouli seemed to surround him… Had Molly been using his blankets again? Not that he minded, he just wished the lavender goof would ask first. Caleb nuzzled in, breathing deep the familiar scent… And realized that this was not his pillow. Nor was he laying down…

" Mmmm …" A soft noise vibrated what Caleb now realized was a chest beneath his cheek. 

Mollymauk?

What in the nine hells was he doing curled around Mollymauk?

Oh, oh gods, his nightmare.  Mollymauk had been there this  time... Standing in the flames telling him it would be okay.

Had he cried out in his sleep? Veth said he only really spoke in  Zemnian during the nightmares... but if he had called out Mollymauks name the same way he had  _ in the dream. _ ..

Fuck. Curse  Tiefling hearing. 

And curse him for not thinking to put a  silencing spell around his room.

He felt his face flame, and his back stiffen, eyes shooting open. The only thing he could see beyond his own messy red hair was an expanse of lavender skin, marked by copious thin pale scars. He pushed himself up to sit up straight and found himself staring into the still half-asleep face of Mollymauk Tealeaf. Caleb could have sworn his heart all but stopped as he wished the floor would open and swallow him whole. 

Molly took the hand that had been in Caleb's hair and rubbed sleep from his eyes. "Good morning  Mr Caleb, how are you feeling?" He asked, he voice rough from sleep but a warm smile on his face. 

"I. ..I -I am so sorry, I  didn -" Caleb stuttered. 

"Hmm... you had a bit of a nightmare" Molly said calmly "I came in to check on you and it seems like I must have fallen asleep" he shrugged as if this was the most normal occurrence. Caleb felt the anxiety tighten in his chest, as if someone were squeezing his lungs. 

" Mollymauk , I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to call for you I-" 

Molly cut him off, shaking his head slowly. 

"No, no Caleb don't apologize. Don't ever apologize for needing help with this." He hooked a finger under Caleb's chin and lifted it so Caleb was looking at him. "You’ve been through hell and back, and I know what it's like to wake up alone, confused and terrified. Please, don't apologize." His voice was soft, low, and more serious than Caleb had ever heard before. He found himself nodding, lost in eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. 

Mollymauk smiled then "good! Come on, you grab a shower and I'll make some breakfast, you have class today don’t you?”

He stood then, supporting Caleb until they were both on their feet. When he let go, Caleb was surprised to realize he missed the contact. He watched as the other man left, heart still jumping in his chest, until he felt familiar soft fur brush against his ankles. He looked down and couldn’t help but smile at the luminescent eyes looking back at him

“hallo  Frumpkin , did I worry you?” he scooped the cat up, snuggling with him a moment while  Frumpkin purred “I am sorry, yesterday was a lot. I guess it got to me again” 

Frumpkin meowed at him, nudging Caleb’s face with the little cat nose before starting to shift in his arms. Caleb put him down, took a deep breath and started looking for clothes. He had a full day of classes today, so he grabbed his  favourite black joggers and a dark grey hoodie. 

Comfort over style was definitely the preference. 

He walked as quickly as he could from his room to the bathroom, shutting the door and cracking open the window. He stared into the mirror for a minute, surprised by how much lighter the bags under his eyes had gotten. Less than a week of better sleep and he was already almost back to his usual level of “zombie-face” (as Beauregard called it). He smiled weakly at his reflection

He had done  it; he had told them.

They all knew who he had been, and what he had done

And they  _ didn’t hate him _

He laughed out loud, just a chuckle; he couldn’t help it.

After he showered, he paused a moment, looking over the scars that lined his arms and the others that dotted his chest. They knew about those now too. 

It was strangely freeing.

He pulled on his hoodie anyway, and walked out of the bathroom, smiling when he saw  Mollymauk teasing  Frumpkin with a string on the counter. They ate a quick breakfast, Caleb felt a funny little tug in his chest when  Mollymauk handed him his travel mug already full of coffee, and a brown paper bag with what Caleb assumed was food in it. 

“Payback for all those plates in the fridge” he winked at  Caleb's confused face. 

Caleb smiled, reaching out to squeeze  Mollymauks hand briefly before he threw on his jacket, boots and scarf and raced out the door. 

\----

His first class went by quickly, it was much easier to take his normal notes when he had actually gotten some sleep.  Essek stopped him as they left

“Would you still be interested in getting together to study this week?”

Caleb blinked, he had totally forgotten about that

“Oh, yes of course, I meant to send you a message but this past weekend was busier than I had planned on” (to put it mildly...)

Essek nodded “Understandable, how does  Conthsen work for you?” 

“I have a shift until 5, but I would be free afterwards”

“That is fine, I can pick you up if you would like”

Caleb agreed, and they said their goodbyes. He would need to remember to tell  Mollymauk this time.

He had an hour between classes, which worked out to about 45 minutes not including travel time, so he walked over slowly. He found a window ledge outside of the classroom and pulled out his phone and his book. The little light on his phone was flashing, he smiled as he opened it

** Mollymauk ** : Caleb! I 4got to ask! Can we get a  🌲 for  winterscrest ? Do u mind?

He chuckled

** Caleb ** : Sure  Mollymauk , I didn’t know you celebrated it. I’ve been told it’s more specific to the northern peoples

** Mollymauk ** : Beau told me about it! 

Of course she had

** Mollymauk ** : it sounds fun!  😍⛄🎄 🎄

Caleb laughed, well... it looked like they were getting a tree this year. He and Veth hadn’t bothered, since they had spent most of their free time at Beauregard and Jesters place anyway. 

Caleb could already picture it though,  Winterscrest was a time for shining decoration, sparkly tinsel and festive music. He looked out the window, the trees had already shed most of their leaves, he was sure the snow would start soon.  Mollymauk would like the snow, he was sure of it. 

Caleb's next class went well as well, they were being given exam schedules now. So far Caleb’s were scheduled for the normal class times, which meant the only day he would have more than one exam was Whelson. He walked over to the cafeteria after class and pulled out the paper bag. 

Inside was a bacon and egg sandwich, an apple and... a note?

_ “Payback for all those yummy lunches!  _

_ C U l8er  _ _ 💜 _ _ 💜 _

_ -Molly xo” _

Caleb felt his cheeks get warm,  Mollymauks writing was just as messy as Caleb had thought it would be... but he found that it just made the silly little note all that much more endearing. He stared at it a moment longer before pulling out his spell book and sliding the note in between two pages. 

He spent the majority of his last class (his History of the Arcane seminar) thinking about where they could go to get a tree...

\----

Mollymauk was working that night, and had already left when Caleb got home. The apartment felt oddly empty without him. Caleb was just settling down to read when he heard a light knock on the door. He got up and peeked through the peephole, smiling as he saw Caduceus standing outside. 

“Hallo Caduceus” he said smiling as he opened the door and stepped back to allow his very tall friend to duck in

“Evening Caleb, it looks like you had a good day” 

Caleb nodded, walking over to lean against the island “I did actually, very calm”

Caleb had long since stopped questioning the comments from Caduceus, the  firbolg was far too perceptive for his own good.

Caduceus nodded back, walking over with his usual serene smile on his face. As he got to Caleb, he held out a small canvas bag. Caleb took it and peeked inside

“The tea you mentioned, I had everything I needed to whip it up  after all ” 

“Ah! Thank  you, Caduceus , this will be very helpful” 

“ Mollymauk is working tonight right?” 

Caleb looked up and raised an eyebrow, before walking around the island to put away the tea. 

“Yes, he is... he works most  Miresen and  Grissen nights”

Caduceus hummed in response, moving over to the sink to get a glass of water. Caleb smiled to himself, he liked knowing his friends were comfortable here. 

“How have you been feeling?” 

Caleb didn’t have to ask what he was referring to, instead he got a soda out of the fridge and leaned back on the counter. 

“I have been... better than I expected I suppose” he paused “everyone’s support made it  easier I think”

Caduceus nodded, but didn’t say anything. Caleb sighed

“I had another nightmare last night”

“That seems  reasonable , considering”

Caleb nodded “ Mollymauk was in it this time” he looked up, only to see the complete lack of surprise on Caduceus’s face “he was standing in the flames, in the burning heat... telling me it was going to be okay” 

He looked down, blushing

“He just kept saying that he was there, that I would be okay... it was comforting” he looked up, knowing his confusion must show on his face “the nightmare ended, they never just  _ end _ like that”

“Did you tell him that?”

Caleb shook his head

“Well... Maybe you should, it’s clear Molly is a comfort to you” a large, soft hand landed on his wrist “you  _ do _ deserve comfort Caleb, even if you don’t believe it yet”

Caleb fought back the sudden burn of tears, and took a sip of his pop, nodding slightly. 

Caduceus stuck around for an hour or so longer, they sat in the kitchen and talked about easier things. Caduceus was working on some new holiday tea blends, he told Caleb about one that was based on mulled wine which had been popular so far. Caleb talked about wanting to get a tree for the apartment, and his distaste towards the plastic ones. Before he left, Caduceus wrote down the address of a shop belonging to a family friend, they sold live trees that were in enchanted pots so they could be re-planted once the season ended. Caleb thanked him for that, and again for the tea and saw him out. 

He stuck the tree shop address on the fridge, attaching a sticky note beside it to remind himself to ask  Mollymauk about it. He had a feeling that going to pick a tree would be something his ever-excitable roommate would enjoy.

Around 9pm, Caleb made himself a cup of the tea, grabbed a book at random off the shelf and headed for bed. The tea was, as always, delicious and he could feel himself relaxing as he drank. It took only 3 minutes between him finishing the cup and him falling asleep.

He did not dream.

\----

Caleb woke  Grissen morning to his phone buzzing next to his head. He was curled up on top of his sheets, with a book laying open next to him and his empty teacup on the bedside table.

Gods bless Caduceus Clay. 

A full night of completely dreamless sleep... he only wished he had thought to change into his PJ’s beforehand. A lesson for tonight he supposed. He pulled open the drapes to let the morning sun in, the cold grey sky promised snow soon. He pulled off the sleep-scented hoodie and tossed it into the hamper by the door. He heard the door creak open and without looking up from his dresser drawer he called out

“ _ guten _ _ morgen  _ _ herr _ Kitty, have you been out there hunting bugs all night?” 

“Well, I wasn’t hunting bugs, but I still got up before you did Mr. Caleb”

Caleb jumped, whipping around with his shirt in his hand, to see  Mollymauk leaning up against the doorframe. He ripped his eyes from his roommates red ones, looking down at the shirt and pulling it up to cover his chest on instinct. 

Mollymauk’s eyes widened a bit, his cheeks going a darker purple before spinning around to face away. Caleb pulled his shirt on, blushing.

They spent the morning eating and talking about their plans.  Mollymauk asked about his exams and that reminded Caleb of the plans with Essek

“Oh, I wanted to tell you”

“hmm?”

“ Essek ,  Essek Thelyss , you remember?”

Caleb watched a brief scowl cross Mollymauk’s face before he nodded. That was interesting...

“He... uh, he is going to come by on  Conthsen evening after my shift to study for our History of  Exandria exam” 

Caleb watched curiously as a range of emotions that Caleb couldn’t quite read flashed across  Mollymauk’s face. He ended up smiling happily over his mug of coffee as he nodded

“No problem Mr. Caleb, I have plans with  Yasha that night anyway, so the apartment should be nice and quiet for you” he winked “and I promise to keep my clothes on this time”

Caleb burst out laughing, now there was the man he knew

“Oh  _ shatz _ , I don’t think you should ever make a promise you can’t  guarantee you’ll keep” 

Mollymauk just smirked and shrugged. 

Caleb's day went by without incident, being outside alone still made him nervous, but he had his spell book and necessary components on him at all times now. His classes were all review based these days, with exams less than a week away, but Caleb didn’t mind. He went home, stopping off at Caduceus’s shop to thank him again and pick up some dinner for himself and  Mollymauk . They ate in front of the TV, watching a ghost hunting show that  Mollymauk loved. It was clearly staged, but it was still fun to watch. 

Caleb spent the evening studying and, just like  the night before, went to bed early with his tea... but he remembered to change into his pajamas first this time.

Part Two:

Molly

Molly got to work in a great mood, he had spent the day relaxing and then had a yummy dinner with Caleb. They had even gotten to watch a few episodes of Ghost Adventures; it was  _ so _ awful and one of his absolute  favourite shows. He hung up his coat and scarf in the back room, shivering slightly as he did. It was starting to get really cold now, Molly wondered briefly if it might snow soon... he would have to ask  Yasha . 

The bar was usually quiet on a  Grissen evening, but Molly didn’t mind, he would get to talk with Gus and any of the gang that came in. He was sort of hoping that Beau would come in, he knew she and Caleb had cleared the air the other night... but he wanted to try and do the same. The first hour of his shift went by quietly, he chatted with Gus, telling him all about life at the apartment.

“And he leaves me food in the fridge when he’s in class, which is so sweet really” Molly put away the glass he was cleaning “and  Frumpkin is  _ so _ cute, he’s the best little cuddle buddy”

Gus laughed “well, I'm glad it worked out so well for you Molly” 

Molly nodded, humming along to the song coming out of the speakers as he kept tidying up. 

Beau slid into a seat in front of him 

“Obnoxious one” she said with a smirk

“Unpleasant one” he smiled back “the usual?” 

She nodded. 

The sat for a while, Beau drinking her beer and Molly rambling on about work and the apartment. Beau told him about the blonde girl with the pretty eyes who kept coming back to the library, Beau wasn’t sure if “blondie” was there for her or for Caleb, but it was funny either way. As Molly handed her the second beer, she sighed

“So... about Caleb”

Molly nodded “yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that too”

She looked confused for a minute, but continued on, staring at her drink.

“I wanted to apologize” 

Wait, what? Now Molly was confused

“I was being a shitty friend, you were right. Even  _ if  _ Caleb is imagining this stuff, that shouldn’t matter. We’re family, I should have taken him more seriously” 

Molly reached over and put a hand on hers, she looked up in shock. 

“I shouldn’t have been such a dick about it, even Caleb said it was a hard thing to believe... and you still showed up for him after everything” he shrugged, pulling his hand away “you’re a good sister, he loves you a lot” 

“yeah well, feelings mutual or whatever” 

They spent another hour just hanging out before Beau wandered off to go see  Yasha . To Molly’s surprise, Gus walked over and put a hand on his arm. Molly smiled at him 

“What’s up boss?”

Gus smiled back “that was real mature of you there Molly, you did good” 

Molly felt himself swell with pride at the words “thanks Gus, that...means a lot”

Gus nodded, but his smile faded a bit as he looked down at the counter.

"Listen Molly" Gus' voice was suddenly serious as he looked up at Molly. 

Molly stared, unsure until Gus spoke again 

"I know it might have seemed harsh, me pushing you to get a place..." He paused for a moment "but I only did it because I care. You're like a son to me, I want better for you than a dingy attic."

His hand went to the back of his neck and he sighed wearily "you've been through a lot of shit, way too much for someone as young as you... But the friends you're making, the choices too... They're all good for you. I believe in you kid” he looked straight into Molly's eyes and took a breath "if you need me, I'm always here, you know that. But I believe you can make more of yourself, and I'm looking forward to seeing you prove me right".

Molly had no idea how to respond to that, so he just stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the older man. Gus was as close to a father as Molly could remember ever having, his approval felt like a real gift. 

The rest of the shift was slow, Molly was still in a fantastic mood when he walked away at the end of the night. The 15-minute walk felt like nothing, and before he knew  it he was locking the apartment door behind himself. Molly walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. He walked over to the fridge and noticed two new sticky notes attached to the front. One was in Cad’s writing and said

“ Guiatao Nursery – Ask for  Nila

555-555-5555"

Next to it, with a little arrow was Caleb’s sharp lettering

“Reminder:  Wintercrest trees, talk to  Mollymauk ”

Molly felt himself smiling, Caleb had left himself a note just so he and Molly could get a tree. How sweet could this man be. 

He grabbed a red pen off the counter and drew a little heart on the note.

Molly finished his water, and walked over to  Calebs door, peeking in. Caleb appeared to be fast asleep still in his bed, and Molly could hear  Frumpkin purring as well. Good. 

He got ready, and went to bed, falling asleep with the thought that today had been a  _ very  _ good day.

\----

Whelsens were always so boring for Molly. He didn’t have as much to do with Caleb in class from 9-6, and  Yasha usually slept in and then worked the earlier shift at the bar. Lately he had been getting up early, even after work nights. He couldn’t help  it, he had started the breakfast tradition with Caleb and now he wasn’t willing to give it up. 

Plus, he could always nap during the day anyway.

After Caleb left for school, Molly cleaned up around the apartment. He grabbed all the blankets and pillows that had been used lately with the Nein sleeping over and decided to try and get them all washed. That brought him to about noon. He sighed, dropping himself onto the couch upside down, head hanging off the cushion and legs draped over the back. He pulled out his phone

** Molly:  ** Yashaaaaaaaa Im BORED 💀💀 💀

** Yasha ** 🖤 : ? 

** Molly: ** bored! I did laundry and cleaned & im bored now.

** Yasha ** 🖤 : I picked up some side work 2day, sorry Mols...

** Yasha ** 🖤 : try Jester? She was texting Beau

Hmm... that was an idea, it had been  _ ages _ since he had spent some time with Jester.

** Molly ** : Gorgeous Blueberryyyyyy

** Jester ** ** 💙 ** ** :  ** Lavender Beautyyyyyy 

** Molly: ** Im bored & miss ur pretty face 😙💙 💙

** Jester ** ** 💙 ** ** : ** ohmygosh I miss u 2! 💜💜😙 😙

** Jester ** ** 💙 ** ** :  ** I was  gonna go 2 the  spaaaaa 🍸🛀 💎 come w me!!

Oh now  _ that  _ was perfect!! He typed back, mostly emoji’s but very clearly a yes and jumped up. He threw on some clean clothes and grabbed a bag with extra’s for after. He grabbed his coat and was just debating on which scarf he wanted when the door opened

“Molly! This is going to be  _ totally cool _ !” 

She tugged the scarf out of his hands “you don’t need that! I ordered a car!” she enveloped him in one of her way-to-tight hugs and smiled brightly at him. 

He often forgot that Jester’s mom was loaded... she only slummed it here because she wanted the “authentic university experience” and Beau had refused to let her pay full rent on a nicer place. The car was, as expected, complete overkill. Champagne and little chocolates, the whole deal. They talked the whole way there about her schooling (Cleric studies with an art minor... which Molly wasn’t even sure was possible) and his band (he was working on a new song and a couple of covers). 

The spa was magnificent, huge and marble and imposing. Jester, as usual, walked in like she owned the place. Dropping her mom's name usually made people treat her like she  _ did _ own the place. After changing and locking their stuff up in the lockers, they wrapped themselves in the robes provided. They were ushered into a private steam room, there were little bunches of herbs hung along the wooden walls, and a brazier in the center filled with softly glowing stones, and off to the side a covered ice bucket with two more bottles of champagne. He poured a glass for each of them before heading to the wooden benches along the wall.

Molly settled himself under what he recognized to be eucalyptus, sighing happily and shutting his eyes. Jester joined him and scooted in close. He could feel her staring at him, so he cracked open one eye and looked over

“Yes Jessie?” he said, taking a sip

“ Caleb ” she said in infernal, smirking at him. He nearly choked on his sip

“ W-what about him ?” he sputtered

“ Molllyyyyy , don’t be silly, it’s like  _ totally _ obvious that you’re into him! ” her expression softened “ we saw you during his story... you already knew didn’t you ” 

It wasn’t a question, but he nodded anyway 

“ Yeah... He told me before everyone came over ” he sighed “ but that  _ doesn’t _ mean- ”

She rolled her eyes “ sure it does, even if he doesn’t know it yet ” she took a sip of her drink “ Caleb is  _ very _ super smart about magic and history and stuff, but he’s as bad as you about actual feelings ” Molly glared at that “ you  _ do _ like  him though right? Cause like, it looks like you do ” 

He paused... debating for a moment before he tossed back the rest of his glass and took a deep breath

“ Yes. ”  Jester  squealed but he held up a hand “ but you  _ can’t say anything _ . He has way too much on his plate right now, I just want to be someone he can rely on ” he lifted his tail towards her “ tail-swear you won’t say  _ anything _ _ ” _

Jester sighed, but wrapped her tail around his so they could shake. She looked at him sadly, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder.

“ Oh Molly”  she took his hand “you’re being stubborn, but it’s sweet so I won’t give you  _ too  _ much shit about it ” 

The rest of the afternoon went by in total comfort, the got  massages and their nails done. There was even a section specifically for Tieflings that involved some very fancy horn oils and waxes, and left them both smelling like some kind of spicy herb mixture.

By the time they were in the limo again, Molly was absolutely certain he had never felt this good.

“Okay” he said contentedly as Jester popped a chocolate into her mouth “we need to do that  _ way _ more often” 

She nodded emphatically “Momma knows the  owner; we could  _ totally _ go like all the time”

Jester came up to the apartment and they spent the next few hours lounging around the apartment watching the baking competition shows the Jester was so addicted to. They talked about their friends, and Jester insisted on talking about Caleb. Molly knew he should be more annoyed, but he honestly kind of liked having someone to talk to about it.  Yasha was great, but she didn’t gossip and gush the way Jester did. 

Plus, he got to speak infernal, which was a nice treat.

Molly felt his tail perk up as the lock on the door clicked, he whipped his head around to look, only to turn and glare as Jester giggled.

Caleb was typing something on his cell phone when he came in, but looked up as Jester giggled.

“oh! Hallo Jester, nice to see you” he smiled and tucked his phone into his pocket “did you two have a good day?”

“oh my GOSH Caleb, we totally did, we went to the spa!” 

As Jester filled Caleb in on their day, Molly took the chance to just... watch him. The bags under Caleb’s eyes were looking much less drastic now, and his cheeks seemed less hollow. Molly felt a swell of warmth as he catalogued all the positive changes the last few days had caused. The nervous undercurrent was there still, in the way Caleb immediately locked the doors and his eyes flicked to the balcony to verify that it was locked too (it was). But the tension in his shoulders had lessened.

Molly wondered briefly if he could find a way to convince Caleb to join them at the spa... The image of Caleb's bare chest from yesterday morning flashed in Molly's mind. The  mans’ ribs had been just a little too prominent, but the pale expanse of skin, the lean muscle  underneath ... and the darker ginger hair that had trailed from his bellybutton down... down... down....

Molly felt himself blush from the tips of his ears to his nose, shaking his head to try and erase  the image .

Molly caught Jesters eye and she smirked  mischievously

“ Aaaaany -way, I need to head back to our  apartment , Beau will be home like  _ super _ soon and I need to clean up my paints” 

Caleb nodded, looking a little confused but accepting her hug before walking toward the kitchen. Jester winked dramatically at Molly from behind Caleb’s back, and Molly sighed as she skipped out of the room.

Caleb looked over curiously, and Molly pasted a smile on his face, getting up to lock the doors again. 

“So! How was class?” he asked, leaning against the counter while Caleb pulled out some leftovers. 

“ Oh, it was alright, we’re just reviewing now... exams are next week  after all ” 

Oh right, his exams... his  _ study date _ with  Thelyss . Ugh.

Molly nodded, still smiling and moved a little closer, allowing his tail to wrap lightly around Caleb’s ankle. 

“How about a nice relaxing night then hm? You work too hard” 

Caleb smiled that soft, grateful smile and nodded “that sounds perfect”

To Molly’s surprise, Caleb leaned in and took a deep breath. Molly raised an eyebrow at him

“You smell like the spa” Caleb chuckled “I bet that if I sit close enough, I will feel like I am there as well  _ ja _ ?” 

Molly felt his smile turn into a smirk as he purred back “oh Mr. Caleb, you can sit as close as you want, no excuses needed here” he winked. 

Caleb laughed, leaning away to finish warming the bowls of pasta. 

They took the food over to the living room, and to Molly’s delighted surprise, Caleb really did sit up close to him, their shoulders pressed together. They spent the rest of the night that way, eventually breaking off to head to bed. 

Molly decided that he really needed to get some of those weird herbs for their shower... maybe Caduceus would have some. 

\----

Molly woke up late on  Conthsen morning, a peek at the cute sun-shaped clock on his bedside table told him it was 10:27am. He sat up with a pout, that meant he had missed breakfast. Caleb would already be at work by now. He sighed and checked his phone

** Yasha ** ** 🖤 ** ** : ** Morning Mols, we still on for today?

Molly  smiled; it was always nice to wake up knowing he had plans

** Molly ** : yup! Super  xcited !  🖤 🖤

Molly stretched, then untangled himself from the comforter and wandered over to the mirror. His horns looked even better than  usual; he would have to ask Jester if she knew what they used at the spa. He searched through his wardrobe, if he was going to spend the whole day out and about with  Yasha he had to make sure he looked perfect. He settled on a button-up top from well before he was born, with wide lapels and a weird mushroom pattern over a black base, a pair of high waisted pleather pants and an oversized sun pendant he had found at a flea-market a few years before. 

He jumped in the shower, did his usual morning routine and started getting dressed. He made sure to tuck the shirt into his pants and leave the top four buttons undone to frame his necklace. After adding his usual horn trinkets, he stood in front of his  full-length mirror to admire the effect. 

Yes,  _ perfect _ .

He wandered back out to the kitchen, poured the leftover coffee into his iced-coffee cup and threw in some ice and cream. As he closed the fridge  door he noticed a new sticky note under the one about the trees.

“ Mollymauk , 

You were sleeping when I left and I did not want to wake you, I left some breakfast in the fridge. I will be home around 5 with Essek. Thank you for washing the extra sheets, that was very sweet.   
Have fun with Yasha

-Caleb”

Molly smiled, what a sweetheart. He opened the fridge again, pulling out the plate and sitting down at the island. He nibbled on the food while he waited for  Yasha’s text, they had a whole day of fun planned. They were going to hit the antique market, then lunch at Caddy’s then a movie and dinner somewhere fun. He knew that Caleb would be studying fairly late... with  _ Essek _ , so he was trying to be a good friend and give them as much time in the  quiet as possible. Even if he didn't _really_ want to.

When  Yasha did arrive, Molly ran down to meet her with a smile on his face. They went right for the antique market; it was one of Molly’s  favourite places. It wasn’t stuffy or expensive like the auctions he had seen on the road, it was more like a flea market but for old stuff instead. Molly had found some of his  favourite accessories and décor there. Today was no different, Molly got out with a rhinestone jewelry set right out of one of the old movies they’d been watching, a huge peacock broach (also covered in rhinestones) and a high waisted plaid skirt. He had no idea where he would wear the jewelry, but he couldn’t resist it. He thought maybe he would be able to get the bracelets to stay on his horns with a bit of fiddling. 

They headed for Caddy’s next, Molly admiring the sparkle of the broach in the sun.

“Isn’t it perfect Yash?”

She chuckled “it suits you, that’s for sure” 

He smiled cheekily at her, sticking out his tongue. He pulled out one of his earrings, hooking one from the set in instead. He had always loved the asymmetrical look. Caduceus was actually off for once; his younger sister Clarabelle was manning the front. 

“Hey Clarabelle! Finally kicked Cad out eh?” Molly called as they walked up

The younger Clay sibling smiled happily at him “only for a couple days, he got wind of some rare plant up north, so he’s gone to see if he can get some”

“New tea incoming then?” She shrugged in response 

They ordered the same spiced tea as last time along with some mushroom, cheese and egg paninis. 

They ate in comfortable silence for a little while, before  Yasha looked up at him with that searching stare she sometimes had. He sighed, holding up a hand in a “go ahead” gesture. She smiled at him, shaking her head before speaking

“how was Caleb after we all left?” 

Molly hummed thoughtfully “he was... pretty much as expected after something like that” 

She nodded, not saying anything yet

“He had a nightmare the night of... but I sort of figured he would. I was able to get him back to sleep, I don’t think he even remembers waking up” he thought about it for a moment... considering that Caleb had apologized for ‘calling out for him’... “I think I might have been in the dream, he seemed to think he called for me” 

“He trusts you”

“He seems to yeah” he paused again “but he seemed better by the time he went to school, and he was fine yesterday too. He made plans with  _ Essek _ to study today” 

He pouted, and  Yasha just smirked at him. 

“But we’re going to get a tree for  Winterscrest ! And then we get to decorate it, and Jessie said that there’s  other decorations too!” 

The discussion carried them all the way through lunch, and over to the movie theater. They stood looking over the current movies, trying to decide what to watch. They settled on an animated movie about a creepy but loving family and their antics. They found a little diner, after the movie, and settled in with big burgers and shakes (chocolate for  Yasha and strawberry for Molly). 

Molly pulled out his phone, it was just after 5pm, so Caleb was out of class. He turned around in his seat and took a selfie of himself and  Yasha with the table between them. He winked in the photo while  Yasha smiled and waved a hand.

** Molly ** : <image attached>

** Molly ** : Hope work was fun luv!  😸😽

To Molly’s surprise, his phone dinged before he had even put it down.

** Caleb ** ** ✨ ** ** : ** It was a good  day; we are home now and getting ready to study.

** Caleb ** ** ✨ ** ** :  ** <image attached>

Molly stared shocked at the little download symbol; Caleb never sent pictures. He tapped it; curiosity high. He laughed out loud when he saw it. 

There was Caleb, hair pulled back in a bun at the base of his neck, dressed in a plain black dress shirt with a pencil behind his ear. He was smiling sheepishly at the camera, standing  in front of the kitchen island. There were two sets of notebooks, and seated in the chair was  Essek , dressed in pressed slacks and a grey turtleneck, looking very confused.

He held the phone out to  Yasha , smirking, and she chuckled too. Molly stared at it for an extra  minute before deciding he would just crop  Essek out. 

As they were debating desert,  Yasha’s phone rang. She apologized as she  answered

“Hi Gus”

Molly glared at the phone 

“... well sure, if it’s an emergency...”

Another pause 

“I’ll tell him, okay” 

She hung up and sighed. 

“Do you have to go in?” Molly asked with a pout,  Yasha nodded apologetically

“Want me to drop you home first?” He sighed but nodded.

They were back at the apartment within 20 minutes,  Yasha gave him a kiss on the cheek and apologized again as he climbed out of the car with his little bag of trinkets. He waved her off, waiting until the van was around the corner before he went in. He would just apologize to Caleb and hide out in his room, he had an old TV with a DVD/VHS player built in, he could have a mini movie night. Or he could work on some new songs that were playing around in his head.

He opened the apartment door and looked up, Caleb and  Essek were still sitting at the island, notebooks out in front of them. There was a bottle of beer in front of Caleb, and a bottle of something with what looked like an Elvish script on the label in front of  Essek . Molly fought the urge to roll his eyes, fancy rich boy and his fancy booze. 

Instead, he hung up his coat and took off his boots while Caleb called out

“Hallo Molly, I didn’t expect you back for a little while yet”

Molly turned and smiled, watching Caleb’s eyes rove from his head down the expanse of bared chest, to the skin tight pants and back up to his face. He felt a little burst of pride at the faint pink across the freckled cheeks and the just-slightly larger pupils. He sighed dramatically, tossing his keys in the bowl on the counter

“Gus called, some kind of emergency at work” 

“I hope everything is okay?”

Molly waved a hand “probably just one too many sick calls, ‘tis the  season, right?”

Caleb nodded  along; Molly caught his eyes roaming over to the new earring. He shook his hair out a little, highlighting the way it sparkled in the light. 

“I’ll try not to get in your way dear, don’t worry” Molly breezed past them, headed to the fridge and pulled out a beer “ evenin ’  Thelyss ” he added, side-eyeing the drow. 

“Good evening  Mollymauk ” the man's voice was calm, even, but Molly was pretty sure he saw a flash of annoyance in those silvery eyes. Molly smiled evenly at him, showing his fangs as he popped the cap off the beer. 

“Anyway” he took a swig, watching from under his lashes as Caleb strayed to his neck “I’ll leave you to your work. I’ll be working on some songs, but if I get too loud just let me know okay darling?” He directed the last part to Caleb. 

Molly walked back to his room, making sure to put a little extra swing into it as he felt eyes on him. 

Essek may be smart and rich, but Caleb  _ certainly _ hadn’t looked at the  drow the same way he looked at Molly. 

Molly did spend the rest of the night working on his songs, enjoying the way Caleb’s voice with stutter in the other room when he hit certain notes. He passed out around 11, Thelyss was still there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do we feel about the underlining for Infernal? I thought about doing a strikethrough instead but I found it hard to read...   
> Molly is a housecat, and also thirsty... for beverages of course.   
> I have one more fully completed chapter, and one that's nearly done. Then I need to finish of the 4 that are just bits and pieces 😅
> 
> Things will move along a little quicker from this point, I have us mapped out for a little while longer, I've also started mapping out Part Two because now I guess there's gonna be a Part Two since I don't think I can fit everything into a cohesive single work.
> 
> Molly's Clothes for his big day out with Yasha!  
> https://bit.ly/MollysShirt  
> https://bit.ly/MollysPants


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brunch! Pining! Beau is the Best Sister! More Pining! Tooth-rotting Fluff!

Part One:

Caleb

The first words out of Caleb's mouth on  Folsen morning were very rude, and very loud. 

“ _ Scheiße!” _

He jumped up as the alarm on his phone buzzed directly against his face, knocking the offending device onto the floor with a clunk. 

He ran a hand down his face, cursing under his breath.  Essek hadn’t left until after midnight, and they had decided that drinking was a good idea. It turned out the funny bottles he had brought were a form of Elf made plum wine, lightly carbonated, and much stronger than the beer Caleb had  initially been drinking. So, the hang over headache, combined with the effect of so many nights of getting sleep... 7 hours suddenly didn’t feel like enough. Caleb groaned, flopping back down onto his pillow and throwing an arm over his eyes. 

There was a light knock on the door, and  Mollymauks voice carried in softly 

“You okay there?”

Caleb groaned again “ Mollymauk , tell me I actually need to go to class today  _ bitte _ ? I need motivation” 

He heard a chuckle from the doorway, he lifted his arm slightly, peering over with one eye.  Mollymauk stood leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, he had on the shiny black sleep pants and no shirt. Caleb pulled his eyes away from the bare chest with difficulty and took in the smirk and raised eyebrow.

“You really think I’m the person who’s going to tell you to go to school?” He walked in, sitting lightly on the edge of the bed “You’d be better off calling Veth, I’m more likely to tell you that you deserve a break and could review  _ just _ as well here, in  pj’s , as in class”

Caleb moved the arm back over his eyes and sighed “that’s not particularly helpful”

“I didn’t say it would be darling”

With a sigh, Caleb sat up, crossing his legs and stretching his arms above his head before furrowing his brow at the smirking Tiefling. The smirk shifted into a grin as Mollymauk leaned in and whispered

“You know, I certainly wouldn’t tell anyone if you  _ did _ want to play  hooky with me instead of going to class” 

Caleb couldn’t fight back the smile, it was certainly tempting 

“Beauregard would be very annoyed with me if I missed work today, she hates  Folsen shifts enough as it is”

Mollymauk shrugged “so skip class, then go to work later?” he scooted farther onto the bed, laying down on his stomach in front of Caleb, head perched on his hands and tail flicking mischievously “It’ll be fun! We can have brunch and you can help me figure out the setlist for tonight” 

He looked so ridiculously feline at that point that Caleb had to fight the urge to scratch around the base of  Mollymauks horns the way he did with  Frumpkins ears. He could feel his limited resolve weakening... he knew that his class would only be review... review which he had gone over thoroughly the night before... 

“ _ Ja _ , okay, you win” 

The red eyes widened almost  cartoonishly before  Mollymauk was, very suddenly, sitting up cross-legged in front of him. The spade-tipped tail was swishing back and forth excitedly and Caleb was once again reminded of Frumpkin. 

“Really? You mean it?”

Caleb nodded, laughing out loud at the excited shock in his  roommate's voice. Molly clapped his hands together, grinning wide. 

“Okay! Wonderful! Get comfy, I’ll be back soon” and he darted out the door “don’t leave your room!” leaving Caleb utterly confused. 

He shrugged, pulled out his phone and sent a message to Fjord

** Caleb ** : Hello Fjord, I will not be at lunch today, I just wanted to let you know

** Fjord ** : sure Cay, everything alright?

** Caleb ** : all fine, I am just taking the morning off before work

** Fjord: ** ok cool, you deserve a day off, have fun

** Fjord ** : you coming 2 the show tonight?

Caleb thought about it... he was nervous about Astrid finding him there. The bar didn’t have all the protection of the apartment. But the others all knew now, so they could be on the lookout for trouble...

** Caleb ** : Yes, I will be there after work with Beauregard

** Fjord ** :  👍

Caleb got up and opened the blinds, letting in the morning light. Then he grabbed his notebook from the desk, taking it back to his bed and settling in to do at least a  _ little _ revision. After about 45 minutes of this, the door swung back open and  Mollymauk backed into the room. Caleb raised an eyebrow as the  Tiefling turned around with a self-satisfied smile on his face. He was holding what looked like a vintage breakfast tray, covered in a full spread of breakfast food, a jug of orange juice and two champagne flutes that Caleb was sure he had never seen before. 

“ Mollymauk what?”

“Brunch!”  Mollymauk announced happily “put your books away you silly  genius and clear a spot for this”

Caleb burst out laughing, moving his notebooks back to his desk and climbing back into bed. He took the tray from the smiling Tiefling so he could get settled back across from Caleb.  Mollymauk flattened out the sheets between them, then reached over and clicked the little legs on the tray into place. Caleb lowered it to the bed cautiously and when he was satisfied that it wouldn’t fall  over, he lifted his hands up. He looked up and caught those gorgeous red eyes with his own, smiling brightly.

“ Mollymauk , this is amazing” 

The lavender cheeks flushed a darker purple as  Mollymauk flashed a toothy grin at him. 

“I live for the excesses doll, you know that!” 

Caleb reached over and poured them two glasses of the orange juice, eying it suspiciously when they bubbled slightly, but  placing the jug on his bedside table anyway.

He took a sip and laughed again

“Mimosas!”  Mollymauk sang out “what is the point of brunch without mimosas?” 

“You are  incorrigible ” Caleb said fondly with a shake of his head.

“And you wouldn’t have me any other way” was the response, complete with a cheeky wink. Caleb just rolled his eyes (“you have no idea” he thought to himself).

The conversation flowed naturally from there,  Mollymauk told Caleb all about his day out with  Yasha , how wonderful the antique market was. He gushed about the milkshakes at the little diner, making Caleb promise to come with him at some point. Caleb in return told  Mollymauk all about his schooling, how much he was looking forward to their winter break. They talked about the  Winterscrest tree they were going to get, deciding (at  Mollymauks insistence) that they would go that weekend.  Mollymauk begged Caleb to teach him some seasonal songs, and made sure to insist that he had a “gorgeous” voice.

Eventually  Mollymauk brought out the setlist for that night, and they went over it. Caleb found himself getting drawn in  every time the other man started to sing. Even acapella his voice was beautiful, and Caleb told him so (even if he did stutter and blush his way through it). 

When they had finished eating, they set the tray on Caleb's desk, keeping their glasses on the side table with the half empty jug. It had to be said, that if nothing else, the mimosas had helped  alleviate the hangover. 

Mollymauk crawled up to the head of the bed to sit next to Caleb, stretching out and lounging on his side. At this point, Caleb was feeling comfortably tipsy, and wondered vaguely just how much champagne  Mollymauk had put in the mimosas. Caleb pulled out his laptop and they looked through photos of  Winterscrest decorations. As he had expected, his room-mates tail was a dead giveaway for when he was particularly interested in a style. 

And, of course, he leaned towards the most sparkly, over the top decorations.

Not that Caleb minded, he knew by this point that whatever kind of decorations  Mollymauk wanted, he would get. Caleb knew he should be worried about his apparent inability to refuse the man anything... but he couldn’t bring himself to mind right now.

Finally, 1pm rolled around, and Caleb put his laptop on the ground next to the bed and sighed. 

“I need to get ready, if I am late Beauregard will have a fit”

Mollymauk groaned playfully before eyeing Caleb with a mischievous light in his eyes. He leaned forward, wrapping his tail around Caleb's wrist and getting close enough that Caleb could smell the champagne. 

“What if instead, we just stay here and cuddle?” his voice had that low almost purring quality to it that sent a shiver down Caleb’s spine. The poor human swallowed audibly.

“And what about Beauregard?” his voice was lower than usual, and he couldn’t seem to pull his eyes from  Mollymauks .  Mollymauk smirked, flashing those sharp fangs

“She’d have to get through me first sweetheart”

Caleb felt his cheeks flame, and he opened his mouth to speak before knowing what he was going to say... until a sudden  _ loud  _ noise like a boom of thunder caused them both to jump. Mollymauk huffed out a laugh and grabbed his phone of the pillow next to him.

“Hey Yash” he shot Caleb an apologetic look as he got up, unwinding his tail and walking into the living room.

Caleb fell back against the pillows with a sigh, trying to calm his racing heart.  Mollymauk really enjoyed teasing him too much, he had to find a way to calm his reactions to it. He pulled out his own phone, cursing softly as he jumped out of bed to get ready. He’d have to forgo his shower, but that wasn’t so bad. He grabbed a pair of clean black jeans, and a dark green v neck out of the closet, pulling them on quickly. He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling it back into a low bun as he walked out of his room. He had taken to carrying his components with him these days, but if he was going to the bar after work, he couldn’t really bring his whole bag... He settled for grabbing what he could fit into his smallest pouch, and slipping that into his pocket. His spell book was in a pocket dimension, easily  accessible . 

He threw on his coat, scarf and boots and waved to  Mollymauk at the door.  Mollymauk pouted at him theatrically, but waved as he left. 

The bus ride over was quick, and Caleb still made it in _just_ on time, smiling at Beau as he pulled off his coat and scarf. 

She raised an eyebrow at him

“Class run long? You look like you ran here”

He shook his head “no I uh... I actually didn’t go in  today; it was going to be a review day” 

She punched his shoulder lightly (for her) and smiled at him “hell yeah man! Look at you skipping class like a grown-up” she rolled her eyes playfully “bet you sat at home and  studied anyway, didn’t  you?”

Caleb felt his cheeks heat up, and he stared pointedly at the computer screen “actually I... well,  Mollymauk and I... had... brunch?” the last word came out as a question

There was a full minute of silence while Beauregard stared at him... and then she burst out laughing. 

“Brunch. You skipped class, to have  ** brunch ** , with  Mollymauk fuckin’ Tealeaf” 

Caleb grumbled as she kept laughing. 

“I’m so proud of you, you absolute disaster baby” 

Caleb dropped his head onto the desk with a  thunk “I think I am still tipsy”

That, somehow, made her laugh  _ harder _ “he got you to DRINK? Before  _ work _ ? By the Gods I owe him one at the bar tonight” 

“Beauregard” 

“Yeah buddy?” she snickered

“You are terrible, I hate you”

“Love you too bud”

The rest of the shift went by quickly, the blonde girl was back, wandering around the stacks closest to the desk but never approaching. Caleb felt bad for her. He also felt bad for himself, champagne made for a bad work-mate. Thankfully,  Zeenoth was gone for the weekend to some conference, so Beauregard just let him spend most of the shift at the desk. At nine, they closed up the desk and headed out. As they waited for the bus, Caleb caught Beauregard staring at him. 

“Is there something on my face Beauregard or am I just that pretty?”

She snorted out a laugh, throwing an arm over his shoulder 

“Sure bud, nah I was just thinking... you  gonna be normal tonight or are you too busy pining for the Obnoxious One?” 

He shrugged her arm off, and glared 

“I am  _ not _ pining” 

She just smirked at him. 

They hopped off the bus at the bar, stopping to say hi to  Yasha on the way in before finding their usual spots at the corner of the bar. Gus smiled when he saw them, walking over

“Well hey there Caleb, Beau. What can I get you?”

“I’ll take a beer, and Cay here will take anything other  than champagne” Caleb turned to glare at her

Gus looked him over, and then smirked “mimosas got you down Caleb?”

Caleb just sighed “can I get my usual please?” 

Gus burst out laughing, grabbing Beau a beer and pushing a glass of whiskey at Caleb. 

Not long after, Jester and Fjord showed up, saying their hellos and ordering drinks. 

Caleb nursed his drink, making sure that he didn’t get through it too fast. He wanted to keep his wits about him. Despite this, however... by the time the lights went down at 10:13, Caleb was nearly done his second drink. He and the others all  swiveled around on their stools, facing the stage. 

“Remember Caleb, don’t pine too hard” Beau called, as the music started and  Mollymauk strode on stage.

He flipped her off without looking over, and could just barely hear her laugh at him. 

Mollymauk began to sing, and Caleb forgot all about Astrid, and the imminent threat. Watching the  coloured lights play off of the lavender skin and wild tattoos, hearing the roar and purr and  _ groan _ in  Mollymauks voice... By the end of the show, Caleb was  _ definitely _ on the other fuzzy side of drunk. His skin buzzed with the dance music that came on to replace the band. He spun back around to face the bar, only to be stopped half way by Beauregard's foot. 

“You good dude?”

He smiled back, rolling his eyes playfully “I am  _ fine _ Beauregard ” he reached out and patted her cheek “I am not pining, as you say” 

She smirked “ Suuuure you’re not” she looked over his shoulder and waved “sup Molly!” 

Caleb whipped around, cheeks pink to see Molly striding over, hand held up in greeting and a bright smile on his face. Caleb took him in again, he had on the leather pants from the other day, with a deep blue velvet vest left open. He had the same oversized sun pendant, and another necklace hanging just below it that looked like a crescent moon hung sideways. Caleb forced his eyes back to  Mollymauks face, smiling back with a wave. He felt Beauregard elbow him lightly in the side and heard her snickering again.

He spun back around, just a bit too fast, and glared at her with a very clear “ _ shut up”  _ look on his face. She just smiled even wider. 

“Hello darlings, and Beau” 

Caleb snickered at Beauregard’s annoyed face, regretting it immediately when  Mollymauk dropped an arm around his shoulder and Caleb felt his cheeks heat.  Beauregard's expression was pure evil.

“So Mols, love the outfit... who you showing off for?”

“The good of the world at large of course”  Mollymauk quipped, waving the hand of the arm that was over Caleb’s shoulder, while Caleb tried desperately to ignore the warm brush  against his cheek.

“I think I know  _ someone  _ who-”

Caleb downed the last half of his drink and jumped up, grabbing Mollymauk’s hand and pulling him away

“C’mon  Mollymauk , come with me”

“Whoa okay yeah”  Mollymauk stumbled slightly, laughing as he followed Caleb into the crowd. 

Once they got to the middle of the stage, he stopped, taking a deep breath Caleb leaned against it. 

Mollymauk leaned in close so that Caleb could hear him over the music

“Okay darling, what the heck was that about?” 

Caleb chuckled, that last shot had pushed him into the warm fuzzy side of drunk and suddenly Beauregard's teasing  seemed much funnier.

“Vell, I vas... um, was sitting with Beauregard and she was ah... being a tease?” he  paused; brow furrowed, common was such a stupid language “no that’s not right...”  Mollymauk burst out laughing

“She was  _ teasing _ you?” Caleb nodded, appreciating  Mollymauk’s much firmer grasp of common along with how his face lit up when he laughed “what was she teasing you about? 

Now Caleb blushed again, giggling “you, actually” 

Mollymauk stepped closer smirking now, somewhere in the back of Caleb’s mind he heard little alarm bells warning him of ‘predator’ but the shiver that ran through the pit of his stomach definitely didn’t feel like fear. 

“Ah- well... you are very...  _ bezaubernd _ _...  _ no” he paused, mumbling a few words until he found the closest common word “charming I mean, on stage and I suppose I got... distracted?” 

That didn’t seem like the right word either, but it was close enough, and the sharp grin on  Mollymauk’s face was highly distracting on  its own. 

“Do I  _ distract _ you darling?” the Tiefling leaned in, his hands landing on the stage wall on either side of Caleb’s shoulders, his tail was swaying the way  Frumpkin’s did when he was hunting.

Caleb stuttered, resisting the urge to reach out and grab the edges of the soft-looking vest. His face must have shown his nerves, because  Mollymauk’s face softened. Warm hands slid gently down  Caleb's arms to grab his hands.

“I have a solution”  Mollymauk said smiling warmly as he pulled Caleb towards the dancing crowd. Before Caleb could protest that he couldn’t dance, Molly had placed Caleb’s hands on his velvet clad shoulders and had wrapped warm hands around his waist “hold on darling!” 

And then they were spinning, the whole world was spinning.

Caleb gripped  Mollymauk’s shoulders, laughing as the other man spun them around wildly. The only things left to him were Molly’s ruby eyes and the warm hands on his waist. 

Breathless and laughing, they stopped at the opposite end of the dancefloor. Caleb stumbled against  Mollymauk , looking up at him and blushing. Lavender hands steadied Caleb and he smiled back. 

Caleb straightened up, breathless and smiling. 

“You are.... you are a rainbow Mollymauk” 

As he was staring, admiring once again how the coloured lights played off of Mollymauk’s tattoos, a movement against the back wall caught his eye.

He felt like someone had dumped ice water on him, there, less than ten feet away, was a far too familiar face. A cold, cruel smirk on her pale face.

Part Two:

Molly

Molly felt the smile slide off his face as he caught sight of Caleb’s expression. The laughter was gone, instead his eyes were wide and terrified, his cheeks pale. He was staring over Molly’s shoulder and Molly could swear he saw the fog of panic rolling into those blue eyes

“Caleb?” He slid his hands down the humans arms, trying to get his attention “Caleb what's wrong?”

Caleb was shaking now, eyes still aimed at the corner of the room “ sh -she is here”

Molly felt himself tense. No, she couldn’t be here? How had she gotten in with  Yasha at the door? He whipped his head backwards to see what looked like a short-haired someone disappearing into the crowd... but he couldn’t be sure...

It didn’t matter, they could figure that out later

“Okay, okay just breath Caleb. I’ve got you” 

Caleb shook his head, his hands were clenched around his own forearms now but he couldn’t seem to stop the shaking.

Molly stepped just a touch closer, pushing into  Caleb's personal space and blocking his view of anything else. Caleb looked up, horror and confusion clear on his too-pale face. Molly leaned in and kissed his forehead, causing the human to jump and let out a little gasp.

“Time for freaking out later, we need to move” 

Caleb nodded, so Molly put one arm around him, steering him towards where Fjord was chatting with a someone at the edge of the dance floor. Fjord smiled at them, then seemed to notice Molly’s expression 

“Molly what-”

“Get the girls, meet us at the door, we have to go. Now” Molly flicked his eyes from Fjord to Caleb and back. Fjord nodded, apologized to his friend and headed for the bar while Molly steered Caleb to the back room. Molly grabbed his coat and changed into his winter boots as fast as possible. He turned once he was dressed and took in the sight before him.

Caleb had started shaking again as soon as Molly had let go of him, he was staring around the room looking completely lost. Molly could tell he was fighting to keep himself together, and felt a pain in his chest at the thought.

He walked forward slowly, trying not to startle his friend

“Okay love, let’s go get the others. We’ll be home soon, where it’s safe”

Caleb did jump, but only a little, and he allowed Molly to wrap an arm back around him. They got to the door to find the others there waiting, Beau stepped forward quickly with Caleb’s coat and scarf. Between the two of them they had the wizard bundled up quickly. As they walked out, Molly paused by  Yasha , who wouldn’t be able to leave just yet. He stood on tiptoe to kiss her cheek and mumbled 

“Keep me posted”

She nodded once, face stoic.

As they walked briskly home through the winter night, Molly filled the others in on what happened. They got to the apartment and Jester took Molly’s key, pushing open the door and pausing to look around before leading them in. She and Beau branched off to go check the bedrooms while Fjord checked the bathroom and balcony. Molly tugged off his and  Calebs coats, hanging them up haphazardly. He turned to the wizard and felt his expression soften.

Seeing Caleb look so horrified was awful, and the man was trying  _ so _ hard to hold it together. Molly stepped closer, holding his arms out slightly 

“Caleb... can I?”

Instead of answering, Caleb simply dropped into his arms. Molly stumbled a bit, wrapping his arms tight around Caleb’s shoulders and lowering both of them to the ground. To his surprise, he felt hands gripping the back of his vest tightly. Caleb had his face pressed against Molly’s chest, and he was still shaking. Molly held tight with one arm, and started rubbing gentle circles into Caleb’s back

“Oh love...” he kept his voice as soft and warm as he could, just above a whisper “you’re okay, everyone is okay... we’re home now” He kept mumbling into Caleb's hair as the others came back from checking the apartment. 

Fjord put a hand on Molly’s shoulder, causing him to look up questioningly. Fjord shook his head and Molly felt himself sag, all clear then. He looked to where Beau was on the other side, she nodded once to his silent question. She was watching Caleb with a helpless look on her face. Molly gave her a weak smile and tilted his head towards Caleb. 

Beau dropped to her knees, one hand landing gently on Caleb’s shoulder before she spoke

“Hey man... we checked everything out here, all clear” 

He didn’t respond, but the shaking seemed to lessen

Beau looked at Molly again “we’re  gonna to call Veth and-”

“No” they all looked down, as Caleb's muffled voice spoke. He was either unable or unwilling to move, but he spoke again “don’t... don’t call now. It’s late, let her sleep” 

Beau looked to Molly again, raising a brow, but Molly just shrugged. That was Caleb’s choice really. 

Jesters soft voice sounded from Molly's other side “do you want us to stay Caleb? We could have a little sleepover, wait for  Yasha to come home?” Caleb nodded against Molly’s skin, and Molly felt the warmth in his chest well up again. 

The others spread out, and he knew they would be grabbing blankets and throwing together food. He left them to it, resuming the small circles on Caleb’s back. 

He sighed, leaning into Caleb’s soft hair and starting to babble on again. Soft spoken nonsense for the most part, but after a few minutes he switched to infernal 

“ You know love, I really do understand how you’re feeling... I know I haven’t told you why yet. I promise I will, when things calm down a bit ” he paused, Caleb’s shaking was calming down “ maybe we should all just go away, we’ll pack up and take a little trip hm? Somewhere they wouldn’t think to look... we’ll put up all the wards and sit by a fire and I can hold you as long as you’ll let me.. .” he pressed a soft kiss to the top of Caleb's head “ I’d really like it if you would keep letting me ”

He knew Jester was there, and would understand if she decided to listen, but he didn’t really care if he was honest. The rumble of the infernal seemed to sooth Caleb, the shiver slowing almost to a stop. He switched to humming, something low and slow, and felt Caleb's grip relax and his breathing even out. After a few more minutes, Caleb pulled back from him and Molly made himself smile even as he mourned the loss of contact. 

“I’m sorry  Mollymauk ” Caleb’s voice was soft, embarrassed, but Molly shook his head

“C’mon dear, you know I’ll never complain about a cuddle with my  favourite wizard” Molly winked “plus, you got me out of set-up duty”

Caleb gave him a shaky smile, and together they stood up. Caleb looked from Molly to himself, then to the hand that Molly was still holding. Molly loosened the grip, but Caleb shook his head slightly before looking back up at Molly’s face. 

“I was just thinking... we ought to get changed, and find some extras for the others...” he paused and Molly watched the blue eyes flick to their hands again. Molly couldn’t help the smile that returned to his face. He leaned in conspiratorially, getting close to Caleb’s ear as if what he was about to say was of the utmost secrecy 

“ Y’know ... this morning was proof that we both still have hands once we’re in our pajamas” 

He was rewarded with a bright pink blush across Caleb’s cheeks. 

In no time, they were all piled together on the floor of the living room. Caleb in the middle, with Molly and Beau on either side. Fjord was next to Molly and Jester was curled up against Beau. They had all settled on sitting up for now, backs against the couch, to wait for  Yasha . Jester had found some baked goods from Caddy’s place in the cupboard and they were passing the bag around. Beau had put on Queer Eye re-runs, and was quietly teasing Fjord about getting him on the show. 

To Molly’s surprise, Caleb had (albeit very tentatively) slid his hand back into Molly’s under the blanket. Molly had smiled, he knew Caleb just needed the comfort right now, but he wasn’t going to complain. Even if it didn’t mean the same thing for Caleb as it did for Molly. 

Around 2:45 Molly’s phone buzzed, Jester had fallen asleep already, and Caleb had been sagging against Molly’s side. 

** Yasha ** ** 🖤 ** : Done, talked to Gus. We watched security footage, saw someone that sounds like her but no idea how she got in. 

** Molly:  ** thx Yash, we’re having a sleepover, come by?

** Yasha ** ** 🖤 ** : on the way

He put his phone down, and sighed. 

“Bad news?” Caleb mumbled from next to him, he turned to look into Caleb’s eyes and shrugged 

“They saw someone who looked like her on the security tapes, but they don’t know how she got in.  Yasha is heading here” 

Caleb nodded, looking suddenly so much more tired, but also relieved. Molly knew why, those security tapes meant that he wasn’t the only person to have seen her now.  Yasha and Gus both had, even if it was only on the tiny screen in the bar’s back room.

Once  Yasha arrived, the door was locked right up to the deadbolt, the curtains drawn  across the balcony door, and everyone curled up. Molly wasn’t sure when they all fell asleep, only that he knew the moment Caleb was out by the light pressure on his shoulder. 

\----

They all woke slowly the next morning, Molly was still sitting up with his back against the couch. He looked around, bleary eyed and saw the Beau and Jester had sunk down at some point and were curled around  Yasha’s larger form. Fjord was curled up on his other side, bundled in a nest of blankets. Molly looked down to see that Caleb had slid down at some point, his head rested on Molly’s thighs, their hands still loosely clasped. Molly smiled at him, feeling that familiar surge of affection. 

“He still sleeping?” came a whisper next to him, he looked over to see Beau was awake now

Molly nodded, sliding his free hand through Caleb’s hair gently.

“What’s the plan?” Beau asked simply, Molly sighed 

“He’s not working next week right?” Beau shook her head, raising an eyebrow. 

Molly stopped petting Caleb’s hair and instead reached over to nudge Fjord, Beau nudged  Yasha and Jester and they both held a finger to their lips in a ‘shh’ gesture. 

“We  gotta figure out what we’re  gonna do” whispered Beau 

“About Astrid?” Jester whispered back

Beau nodded, and there was a moment of silence while Caleb stirred slightly. Molly started combing through the ginger locks again gently, and the human seemed to settle. 

“We need to keep watch on him” Fjord whispered “like... all the time”

“If she managed to get through  Yasha ...” Jester looked apologetically at the taller woman, who looked genuinely frustrated by the fact “then I agree, someone with him at all times” 

They whispered back and forth for a few more minutes, sorting out who had similar schedules. Molly tried not to enjoy the idea that thanks to his work, he would be the one keeping an eye on Caleb the most. On the nights that he worked, Beau and Jester would come down and hang out, and in between Beau was going to work with the Soul on finding out where “these fuckers” were hiding out. 

Molly felt... a bit uncomfortable talking  _ about _ Caleb instead of  _ to _ Caleb... but they just wanted to keep him safe. Molly looked down at his sleeping roommate, frowning, and decided that he would be sure to discuss everything with him when he got up. 

Fjord left for the tea-shop soon after, promising to tell Caduceus what had happened. Beau grabbed her phone and headed to the balcony to call Veth, while Jester and  Yasha threw together some food. Beau came back in, sitting down in Fjords old spot with a sigh

“Veth is coming over, she’s decidedly  _ not _ happy that we didn’t call her last night” 

Molly nodded, he had figured as much. Veth yelling her way into the apartment was probably not the best way for Caleb to wake up... He looked down again, sighing.

“Caleb” he said softly, scratching gently along the humans scalp as he ran his fingers back through long hair “time to get up dear, Veth is on her way over”

Caleb grumbled for a moment, nuzzling into Molly’s thighs and sending a wash of heat straight to his cheeks. He heard Beau snicker and shot her a glare. 

“Come on honey, up you get” he said in the same soft voice, twirling a bit of hair around his finger, he sighed “Veth won’t like you sleeping in my lap” 

That seemed to do the trick, Caleb’s quiet grumbling stopped and the hand that held Molly’s tensed briefly before Caleb sat up. He turned, looking at Molly from mere inches away with sleepy blue eyes. They sat that way for what felt like a few minutes, Molly trying to ignore the persistent buzz under his skin, until Beau snickered again. Caleb blushed and sat up straight, running his free hand through his hair to push it out of his face. 

“Goodmorning  Mollymauk ” 

Molly smiled “morning mister Caleb”

The sound of the door hitting the wall made them both jump, Caleb’s fingers tightening sharply around Molly’s, digging just the slightest bit into his palm. 

“CALEB?! WHERE’S MY BOY?!”

Veth’s voice rang through the apartment, and just as suddenly there was a small body flying past Molly into Caleb’s lap. 

“Caleb! Are you okay? Are you hurt?” she had her palms on his cheeks and was turning his head from side to side. Molly smiled, as crazy as Veth could be, it was sweet how much she loved Caleb.

And getting to see the way  Caleb's whole face softened was just a bonus

“ _ Ja  _ _ liebling _ I am okay,  Mollymauk and the others got me out before anything could go wrong”

There was a pause as Veth turned to stare at him, Molly froze. They sat like that for a full minute before Veth said simply

“As he should” and went back to checking Caleb for hidden injuries. 

Molly released the breath he hadn’t  realized he was holding, and turned to glare at Beau where she was still smirking next to him.

The rest of the day was quiet, Veth stayed over and spent the day fussing over Caleb and Molly stayed out of their way. It was nearing dinner time when Caleb called over to him 

“Oh, Mollymauk?” 

Molly’s ears perked up as he turned to look back at his roommate, humming in response

“Do you want to go get our tree tomorrow?”

Molly whipped around, a smile on his face as he nodded happily 

“I was worried you might want to  cancel !”

Caleb smiled warmly at him “ _ nein _ , as long as you do not mind Veth and  Yeza coming with us?” 

Molly shook his head, they could bring the entire Mighty Nein if it meant getting the tree.

“It is a plan then”

Molly nodded. He could talk to Caleb about the new security plans then. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops! How did sheeeeee get there? If you thought this chapter was fluffy Just You Wait. I'm working ch 16-20 right now, so hopefully I can get ahead again!


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tree Shopping! Decorations! Tea! Molly is a Worrywart! 
> 
> Want some Fluff? I have some Fluff here for you

Chapter 15

Part One: Molly

Molly woke on  Da’leysen morning warm and comfortable in his own bed. He sighed, wrapping his arms around a pillow and nuzzling in while his tail swished happily under the blankets. He could hear the quiet sounds of Veth and Caleb moving about the apartment. After the excitement (or more accurately, stress) of  Folsen evening, they had spent all of  Yulisen lounging around the apartment. Veth had called  Yeza and asked him to pick them all up today for tree shopping, then had stayed the night. He sat up, yawning, and wandered over to his vanity. 

Molly rubbed his eyes, staring into the mirror. He looked the same as he always did in the mornings, gorgeous (as far as he was concerned anyway) but not enough sparkle. He would wait until he got dressed to put on his jewelry though, otherwise it had a habit of getting caught. 

He stood, he had his comfy satin  pj pants on again, and he knew Veth would lose her mind if he walked out shirtless. He considered the options... a Veth freak-out could be a lot of fun, but it  _ was _ early, and he wanted coffee.

With a nod, he grabbed the vintage dressing gown that hung on the corner of his mirror (red satin with a huge embroidered peacock and dragon up the back), tugging it on and tying it loosely around his waist. 

As he stepped out the door (he never shut it all the way anymore) he was greeted by  Frumpkin twisting around his feet. He leaned down and gave the cat a scratch around the ears

“Good Morning to you too mister  Frumpkin " he cooed at the cat.

“Ah,  _ guten _ _ morgen _ Mollymauk ” came Caleb’s voice from the direction of the kitchen.

Molly stood up and looked over, smiling. Caleb stood in the kitchen, still in his flannel pajamas and a black shirt Molly had seen him wear to bed dozens of times. He was holding his cat mug, with a little curl of steam coming out of it and was smiling back at Molly in that sleepy slow-morning kind of way. Molly felt a little jolt of surprise as he realized that Caleb’s sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, scars on full display. 

Veth was sitting at the island, a smaller mug in her hands, dressed in a short-sleeved yellow nightgown that reached her knees. She was eyeing him suspiciously, he smiled brighter and waved

“Good morning Veth, Caleb, sleep well?” 

They both nodded, and Molly walked over, heading for coffee. 

“I have some chilled in the fridge if you would prefer it iced” Caleb spoke softly, sounding unsure. Molly looked back and felt his expression grow fond. Caleb wasn’t looking at him, choosing instead to stare into his coffee, cheeks faintly pink. 

“You know me so  _ well _ darling!” Molly gushed, patting Caleb's arm as he walked past him to the fridge. Sitting on the main shelf was his iced coffee tumbler, full and just waiting for a few ice cubes from the freezer. 

Gods what a sweet man. 

“You shouldn’t dote on him so much Caleb, he’ll get spoiled” Veth said from behind him. 

Molly laughed, turning to face her but  Caleb's chuckling stopped the response in his throat

“ _ Liebchen,  _ you know I cannot help it.  Mollymauk is just a giant __ _ hauskatze _ _ ,  _ he needs spoiling” 

Veth rolled her eyes and Molly stuck out his tongue at her playfully. Molly wasn’t certain, but he thought he could guess what Caleb had just called him. 

“See?” he crooned, swaying over to Caleb and sliding an arm onto his shoulder (“gods why does he always smell so  _ good” _ ) and turning to face Veth again “I’m just a little stray, darling Caleb can’t help it if-” 

He stopped, eyes having just caught sight of the large balcony window and what was happening outside. 

“SNOW!” he shouted, practically dropping his coffee on the counter and bolting for the sliding door. 

It was beautiful, the winter sunlight gave everything an almost blue tint, and the snow that was already coating the buildings and trees made the whole world seem to sparkle. Molly’s tail was wild behind him as he pressed his palms to the glass and stared, trying to drink it all in with his eyes. 

Caleb was chuckling and Molly realized that the other man had walked over while he was enjoying the view. 

Molly turned to face him, beaming “it’s  _ gorgeous  _ Caleb! It’s an absolutely perfect day for tree shopping!” 

Caleb’s expression was so downright  _ soft _ that Molly felt his heart do that odd flip-flop thing in his chest. To make matters worse (sort of?) the wizards voice was equally soft when he spoke next.

“It is clearly meant to be”

They stared at each other for a moment, or possibly an hour, Molly wasn’t sure. Caleb opened his mouth to speak but before he could there was the sound of a loud pop-song from the kitchen and they both jumped. Molly looked over to see Veth glaring at him as she answered her phone

“Hi honey” a pause “yes he’s okay, we had an lazy day yesterday” another, slightly longer pause “okay that sounds good, we’ll see you then” a soft smile made her look so much younger as she said “love you too” and hung up. 

“Okay you two, time to get ready,  Yeza will be here in about 45 minutes” 

Molly looked back at Caleb to see that the human was looking at Veth, nodding slightly. Molly took advantage to just... stare. His still half-asleep brain focused in on the long line of Caleb's throat, they were standing close enough that the warm campfire scent was tickling Molly’s sensitive nose... He pulled his hands off the icy glass and, more to cut off his own thoughts than anything else, pressed on to spot where Caleb's neck joined his shoulder.

Caleb’s eyes went  huge as he jumped at the sudden freezing touch, with a gasp his (much warmer) hand flew up and landed on Molly’s

“ got’cha !” “ _ gottverdammt _ _! _ ” They spoke at the same time, Molly laughing through it. 

Veth was yelling at him, something about getting his hands off her boy, but Molly was distracted by the way Caleb curled his fingers in-between Molly’s, pulling the cold hand off his neck. The smirk that Caleb turned on him was down-right dangerous, and Molly felt his eyes go wide as Caleb leaned in

“Two can play at that game  Mollymauk ” Molly swallowed; he was trying to reconcile the plainly predatory grin on Caleb's face with the shy one he was used to “and remember, I have  _ much _ more experience with the snow than you do”

Caleb let go of his hand, and headed back to the kitchen, talking quietly to Veth while he finished off his coffee. Molly stood for a minute, trying to calm his racing heart before going back to grab his own coffee off the counter. Caleb and Veth wandered back to Caleb's room to get dressed, so Molly took his now half-empty drink and walked back to his own room, contemplating his potential outfits. 

Half an hour later he was seated back at his vanity, dressed in a pair of soft red leggings with snowflakes all over them, a fitted black turtleneck and had pulled on his horn jewelry. He had managed to fit one of the rhinestone bracelets onto his left  horn and _ may _ have spent a full five minutes admiring the way it sparkled. 

When he left his room, Caleb and Veth were already by the door. Veth was dressed in a warm looking brown coat with brightly  coloured buttons running down the front, and a pair of red winter boots. Caleb had on his old coat with his scarf wrapped loosely around the collar, he was in the middle of pulling on a boot. 

“Finally, I was going to leave without you” Veth said, crossing her arms

“Yeah  yeah okay, sure you were Veth” 

Once they got downstairs, there was a sturdy looking green  SUV waiting for them. Veth opened the front passenger door, and a set of little metal stairs unfolded, allowing her to climb up. Caleb opened the rear passenger side door and waved Molly in ahead of him. 

“What a gentleman!” Molly teased as he climbed in “hey there  Yeza ” he added as he buckled in behind the driver seat. 

“Hallo  Yeza ” Caleb echoed, buckling in beside him

“Hey there fellas! Nice to see you again!” came  Yeza’s cheerful voice from the driver's seat “excited for tree shopping today?” 

“Definitely!” Molly answered “this is my first Winterscrest, or the first I can remember, I’m looking forward to it” 

“Ah that’s right! Veth mentioned you don’t remember too much about your past, I’m sure that’s been rough” Molly hummed  noncommittally “but hey, at least you get to make all sorts of fun new memories with your  buddies right? That’s exciting!” 

Molly couldn’t help but laugh,  Yeza was such a genuinely nice man. He made Molly think of a nerdy dad, always excited to be included with his kids  activities . 

“I know Veth and Caleb here never bothered with trees, but I love having one in the house  y’know ? It  just feels so festive” 

Talk of holiday traditions got them to the edge of town, from there it was only a  ten-minute country drive before they hit the gates with a big arch over that read “ Guiatao Nursery”. There were flowers and trees painted around the letters, as well as three  firbolg faces that Molly assumed must be the  Guiatao family. 

They pulled in, parking in the big open space that seemed to serve as a makeshift parking lot. The snow had continued to fall, and Molly had to stop for a moment to take in the image in front of him. 

Straight ahead there was a small building that looked like a combination log-cabin and greenhouse, with a big wrap around porch and the front doors thrown wide despite the cold. In behind it was what looked like a young forest, all sorts of evergreen trees dusted with snow. Someone had strung  Winterscrest lights between hundreds of poles, illuminating the whole scene in red, green and off-white light. There were families and couples walking between rows of trees, little kids bundled up to an almost excessive degree being chased or held back by laughing parents. 

Caleb tapped his shoulder as he, Veth and  Yeza walked past, shooting him a smile from behind the scarf. Molly walked quickly to catch up, his tail curling happily at the sight of it all. They wandered around for a little while, just admiring everything. There was a young  firbolg at a booth selling hot chocolate and hot apple cider in little recyclable cups. They all stopped over, Molly and Veth getting hot chocolate while Caleb and  Yeza got cider, then they stepped just off to the side of what seemed to be the main path. 

“ So, what are we thinking for trees?” Veth asked “like, size and stuff?” 

“Well, we’ll need to make sure we can get it into the house  hun ”  Yeza said with a chuckle “so we can’t be getting anything too big”

Veth hmphed “I have mage hand for that!” 

Caleb looked around “I’m not sure what we should get, it’s been years... maybe there’s someone we could ask?” 

“Didn’t Caddy give you a name...  Nila I think?” Molly furrowed his brow, trying to remember what the note had said.

“Well hello there! Did I hear someone ask for Nila?” 

They all jumped, nearly spilling their drinks as a warm voice rang out behind Molly. They turned to see a seven-foot tall  firbolg woman with a round, friendly face and bright eyes. Her fur was a warm chestnut  colour and her hair long and black under a cozy woolen hat. She waved a hand, smiling happily

“sorry friends! I didn’t mean to startle you there” 

Caleb seemed to compose himself first, he walked over and held out a hand, smiling back at her

“It is no trouble, I am Caleb  Widogast ” they shook hands “our good friend Caduceus Clay recommended you to us for a  Winterscrest tree, but I’m afraid we’re all a little out of our depth”

Her ears perked up when she heard Caduceus’s name “Oh! Caduceus, of course, he’s good friend. All the Clays are really, have been for generations!” 

Molly walked up now, smiling “ Mollymauk Tealeaf here, Molly to my friends!” she took his hand, still smiling warmly “and behind us are Veth and Yeza!” 

The halflings waved up at her, and she waved back

“Well now, it’s always nice to meet new friends! I’m glad Caduceus sent you around” 

The discussion turned to trees then, Molly had no idea there were so many types. Caleb insisted that they needed one that would smell like pine, and  Yeza asked for the opposite. Eventually they settled on a blue spruce for Molly and Caleb, and a balsam fir for  Yeza and Veth.  Nila lead them off, stopping in one section and pointing it out to Veth and  Yeza as the area for balsam firs. The halflings wandered off down the path to pick out their tree. Not before Veth pulled Molly aside and whispered to him, brown eyes serious

“I’m  _ trusting _ you to keep an eye on my boy until we all meet up, you hear me?”

Molly nodded “no problem momma, I've got him” 

She glared for a moment before nodding and walking back to  Yeza , taking his hand so they could wander away. 

Caleb looked curiously at Molly when he walked back, but Molly just shot him a wink and a smirk, which had Caleb shaking his head and chuckling. Veth was right of course, they were out in the open and he definitely needed to keep an eye on the wizard. Who knew if the Asshole and his little cultists were spying on them? 

He had to admit though... he would have been watching Caleb anyway. The effect of the light snow and the festive lights on his chill-flushed cheeks was adorable. Add to that the way the red and green light reflected in his blue eyes... it made him look less human and more like a being made entirely of magic. 

They were  led to another section, and  Nila showed them how to tell which trees were the blue spruce ones. 

“If you need any more help, myself and my husband will be around” she said  cheerfully “let us know if you find your tree!” 

They waved as she wandered off to go see if anyone else needed help. Caleb turned to him, smiling happily and holding out an arm “well then Mister Tealeaf, shall we?” 

Molly felt a smile bloom over his face as he linked their arms, pressing his palm to Caleb’s bicep

“ _ Such _ a gentleman!” he repeated, laying his other hand on Caleb’s forearm and leaning into the other man slightly. 

They strode through the trees for a while like that, stopping to admire and discuss several trees. At one point they walked up to one that was at  _ least _ 10ft  tall, and dusted in snow so prettily that it looked like something from a movie. Molly pulled Caleb  around so their backs were to the tree and pulled out his phone to take a selfie. An older couple were walking by, the half-elf woman smiled at them, pulling her human partner over and offered to take the photo. Molly nodded enthusiastically, holding out his phone.

She stepped back, snapping a few photos and then walking back to return the phone

“You two look so sweet together, it’s lovely to see the young people still celebrating the holidays” 

“Happy  Winterscrest !” her partner called, waving as they walked away. 

The photos were perfect, the gentle snowfall and the warm holiday lights around them looked like a holiday card. Molly was drawn to Caleb’s face in the photo, he wore a soft smile as he leaned into Molly, that faint blush still across his cheeks. It was so... domestic, so soft looking. 

Molly held the phone out to show Caleb, who’s expression softened immediately

“Send me that, will you?” 

“ Of  _ course _ dear!” Molly smirked “maybe we should send it out as a holiday card hm?” he teased as he sent the photo. 

Caleb laughed “I don’t know who we would even send them  _ to shatz _ , everyone we know we see constantly”

“That’s the fun part!” Molly pressed mischievously as they wandered “we could send a dozen to Beau  alone; it would drive her absolutely nuts” 

Caleb laughed again “oh now you will get me in trouble with Beauregard hm?” 

Before Molly could answer, his phone started going off in his hand, he looked down and saw “Jester 💙” on the screen. 

“Ah, let me take this really quick?” 

Caleb nodded “I will be just over here” he pointed to a group of trees about 6ft away, Molly nodded and opened the phone.

“Hey Jessie!”

“Molly!!” she sounded  excited; Molly’s tail curled curiously as he turned to examine a tree

“What are you doing right now??”

“I’m tree shopping with Caleb, Veth and Yeza” this tree might do actually... might be a bit too tall though, he continued down the line “why, what’s up?”

“Oh, that’s perfect actually! Beau and I were  gonna go to the store in after dinner and look at decorations! Technically we already have lots,  _ technically _ , but they’re so pretty!”

Molly nodded, humming in agreement “they definitely are, I was planning to grab some from the antique market Yash and I went  to, but we’ll still need balls and tinsel and stuff” 

“Meet us when you’re done! It’ll be fun!” 

“Sure babe, text me the address” he smiled, Jester was probably the only person in the group who loved shiney things even more than him. 

“Awesome! Okay! We’ll see you then!” 

He hung up, shaking his head indulgently. She had so much energy, he loved it. This tree was pretty good... nice and fluffy and not too tall. He spun around

“Hey Caleb-” he stopped, staring at the little group of trees where Caleb had been standing. He wasn’t there. 

Molly felt his heart start to race, where was Caleb? He had said he would be right there... Molly rushed forward, head whipping from side to side. 

“Caleb??” 

He was panicking now, Caleb knew better than to just wander off, he knew the danger they were dealing with! Molly started running through aisles, they had seemed charming before but now it just felt like a labyrinth mad of pine. He called out for Caleb as he ran. He finally raced around a corner, no more than 30ft from where they had been, and felt his heart stutter in his chest.

There was Caleb and he was... fine? 

He was chatting with a tall  firbolg man, indicating the large flower pot the taller man held. He had the look on his face that new magic gave him. Molly felt like he could faint with relief as he ran over. Caleb looked up, curiosity turning to concern as Molly got closer, he strode over to meet Molly halfway.

“Caleb!” he heard himself cry out, capturing the humans face with his fingertips and tilting him to and  fro . 

“What happened? I lost sight of you, are you hurt? Are you okay?” Molly could feel his hands shaking. 

Calebs look of shock  faded and was replaced with a warm smile that went right up to his eyes. The calloused human hands pressed on top of Molly’s as Caleb spoke

“ Mollymauk , hush now, I am fine  _ Kätzchen _ ” one hand stayed pressed over Molly’s as the other reached out to cup Molly’s cheek, Caleb’s thumb smoothing back and forth over his cheekbone. 

“I did not mean to worry you, I was distracted by talk of the enchantment on the pots” Caleb seemed to lean into Molly’s palm, making him blush dark purple “I am sorry to have worried you, I promise I’m fine” 

Molly released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, leaning in to press his forehead to Caleb’s

“Just... just don’t wander off anymore, okay love?”

His voice was hoarse, but he didn’t care. He had just spent the longest 10 minutes of his life completely terrified searching for the ginger through a maze of trees. Caleb’s thumb slid across his cheek again, his breath light against Molly’s skin as the  soft accented whisper carried through the cold air

“Of course, I will try  my very best” 

Molly sighed into the touch, his shoulders relaxing slightly. 

Too soon, Caleb's hand left his cheek, and he gently pulled Molly’s away from his own face as well. Molly felt the chill of the cold air as Caleb leaned back before tugging gently on the hand he still held. 

Molly looked up, feeling sheepish for how quickly he had panicked. He knew he must still be blushing. He tugged at his scarf, unsure what to do with himself now. 

But Caleb was just smiling warmly at him

“Caleb...” Molly started, wanting to apologize for freaking out, but Caleb just shook his head, still smiling. The human pulled Molly’s hand up, brushing his lips along the knuckles, feather light before speaking.

“I am very lucky, I think, to have someone to worry about me” 

They stood, staring at each other for a moment, Molly’s mouth was slightly open in shock, and Caleb hadn’t lost the warm smile. Caleb tugged his hand again, this time turning and pulling him towards the  firbolg he had been speaking to before. When they got to the table with all the pots on it, they stopped, but Caleb didn’t pull his hand away. 

“ Mollymauk , this is  Kitor . He is  Nila’s partner” The  firbolg ,  Kitor , waved happily 

“hey there, nice to meet you! Caleb here was saying that you all know the Clays, they’re good folks”

Molly nodded, grateful that  Kitor didn’t comment on the scene he had just made. 

Caleb fell back into his discussion with  Kitor easily, asking all sorts of questions about the enchantment process and how best to care for the tree. After a few minutes, he turned to Molly again 

“Any luck finding a tree you liked?” Molly smiled sheepishly, losing sight of Caleb had made him forget all about the trees... but the one he had been looking at before that stuck out in his mind. He led them over and  Kitor nodded happily

“Oh yes, that’s a good choice” 

Molly looked over at Caleb curiously “what do you think?”

Caleb nodded, smiling “looks good to me, it should fit right in the living room”

It took another 20 minutes for  Kitor to move the tree into one of the pots, a process that Caleb was absolutely invested in. Molly couldn’t help but smile when he watched how Caleb lit up at the prospect of new magic. Gods but he was hopeless. 

Part Two 

Caleb

Caleb was floored. He was trying his best not to show it, as  Mollymauk seemed embarrassed about the worry he had shown. So, instead of thanking him, Caleb had settled for keeping a hold of one gloved hand while they got their tree sorted out. He finally had to let go when it came time to pay, pulling out his wallet before  Mollymauk could. The  Tiefling glare at him as he shook his head

“Don’t worry about it” Caleb smirked at the annoyed face his friend was making “knowing you you’ll end up buying most of the decorations anyway”

Mollymauk seemed to think about that for a moment before smiling 

“I already have ideas” 

“ Oh, now I’m definitely worried” 

Mollymauk snickered at that, and together they carried the tree back to  Yeza’s car. Luckily enough, Veth and  Yeza were just putting their own slightly smaller tree in the trunk of the SUV. Caleb couldn’t help but admire once again the magical work done by the pots. They were able to lay the trees on their sides without spilling the soil (“some kind of magical stasis...” he thought, in awe). 

“There you are!!” Veth called from where she had been standing, phone in hand, at the back of the vehicle “I was about to call you, what took so long?”

Caleb peeked over at Molly, his cheeks had gone dark purple again and Caleb assumed he probably didn’t want Veth to know about what happened...

“I got distracted speaking with  Kitor about the enchantment on the pots Veth, I am sorry” he smiled at her as they set the tree down. She smiled back, her face relaxing into a warmly indulgent expression. 

“Well, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised” she turned to  Yeza “he’s just too smart isn’t he dear?”

Yeza smiled as well “oh yes, quite clever!”

Caleb felt a tug in his chest, the warmly parental looks on their faces filling him with both warmth... and pain. His own parents had looked at him that way once... 

He shook his head, no. Can’t let those thoughts in. Not when the snow and the lights made everything so warm, not when his family was standing smiling at him. So, he smiled back.

They all piled back in the car, and were buckling up when Mollymauk suddenly sat bolt upright

“Oh!” they all turned to look at the Tiefling “Jester called earlier! I totally forgot in all the...” red eyes seemed to flick in Caleb's direction “excitement... she wants us to meet up with her and Beau, they’re decoration shopping” 

Veth’s eyes lit up “That sounds perfect, are they getting dinner first or?” 

Mollymauk hummed uncertainly and started typing on his phone, presumably sending a text to Jester.

“Should we drop the trees of first?” Veth asked Yeza

“Hm... probably, I think the enchantment should keep them okay even laying down... but better not risk it I suppose” 

“We could drop them at our place for now, to save a stop?” Caleb offered

Veth turned in her seat to smile at him “wonderful idea Caleb! Let’s do that”

Yeza started driving in the direction of the apartment, putting on a station of holiday music while he drove. He and Veth were singing along (only slightly off key) and Caleb felt the familiar warmth in his chest. Gods he loved these people.

By the time they got back into the city,  Mollymauk had gotten a response from Jester

“She says they’re going to Caddy’s for dinner, and we should go too” he laughed a little as he read her message, and Caleb couldn’t help but smile. 

The rest of the drive was filled with raucous singing of holiday songs,  Mollymauk joining in on the ones that Caleb had shown him the other day. 

“I’m surprised you know these already Molly!” said  Yeza , sounding impressed 

“ Mr Caleb was kind enough to teach me a few the other day!”  Mollymauk responded, shooting him one of those dazzling smiles. Veth glared over her shoulder at the smiling purple man.

“When was this? Caleb has classes during the day still”  Mollymauk blushed, seeming to realize where this was going, but Caleb just laughed

“I took a morning off to review at home instead,  Mr Mollymauk was kind enough to set up a brunch for us before work” feeling oddly bold, Caleb reached over and patted his arm “it was a very nice mental break for me” 

Veth seemed to think it over, looking between them for a moment before nodding sharply and turning back to the front 

“Well good, I always say you push yourself too hard” 

Caleb looked over at  Mollymauk , who mouthed “thank you” at him with a smile. 

They arrived at the apartment, quickly moving the trees upstairs into the living room before hopping back in the car and heading for Caduceus’s place. The sun was just beginning to set now, and Caleb paused outside to admire the view. The snow hadn’t stopped, and now it sparkled in the light of the setting sun. The shops all took on an almost fairy-tale look, with the warm lighting and the layer of snow resting on roofs and awnings. Several shop owners had already swept the snow off their walks and were laying out a layer of salt. Looking more closely, Caleb could see Beauregard and Jester sitting in the coveted window seat. 

They walked in,  thoroughly enjoying the burst of warm, scented air that hit them when they opened the door. Clarabelle was manning the counter, and she smiled brightly when they walked up.

“Hi  there guys! Good to see you!” 

Caleb smiled, he liked the youngest Clay sibling, she was sweet.

“Hallo Clarabelle, are you in charge tonight?”

“Oh yeah, Caddy is still up north gathering weird plants! He should be back in a couple days though” 

They chatted for a few moments longer, before ordering the dinner special and the spiced tea Caduceus had mentioned to Caleb a few days before. 

They walked over to join the table that Beauregard and Jester were already at, Jester waving frantically. It took them a moment to get settled (rather snugly) around the table. 

“So how was tree shopping?” Beauregard asked, taking a sip of her tea

“It was so much fun!”  Mollymauk gushed “the whole  place looked like something out of a movie” 

Mollymauk launched into a detailed explanation of the nursery, including telling them all about  Nila and  Kitor , hands moving wildly enough that Caleb found himself occasionally dodging them. Caleb noticed once again that  Mollymauk skipped the part where they had gotten separated... well, if he was that  embarrassed by it, then Caleb wouldn’t call him out.

The concern on  Mollymauks face when he had found Caleb still caused a warm little tug in the  humans' chest when he thought about it.

As they were finishing up dinner (a very tasty vegetarian stew with homemade herb-filled bread) and sipping on their tea, Caleb noticed the others giving each other pointed looks, directed quite clearly at him. He raised an eyebrow, looking from Beauregard to Mollymauk, trying to decide which one to press for information. 

“So...” he started, eyeing Beauregard “something on my face Beauregard?” 

For a moment it looked like she would crack, her face going cheeky at the callback before she shook her head and side eyed Mollymauk. Caleb turned to look at the Tiefling, feeling a smirk spread over his face as the dark purple blush spread over Mollymauks pointed ears. So, it would be him then, that was fine

“ Mollymauk ?” he asked, lowering his voice just a bit for effect. 

The blush spread as the Tiefling swallowed, and then sighed

“We...all of us, we wanted to talk to you about the other day” he paused “the Astrid issue” 

Caleb’s smile dropped, his heart beating a little faster. Was this them telling him that  Yasha had been mistaken? That the only physical proof he had was false? That they didn’t actually believe him? 

His fear must have shown on his face, because  Mollymauk reached out a hand and put it gently on his arm. 

“Nothing bad, or not bad like you’re probably thinking” he said, his voice soothing “we want to propose something to you” 

“Okay...?” he couldn’t quite slow his heart, but he tried to calm his thoughts

“We...”  Mollymauk looked up at Beauregard again before continuing “we want to keep you safe, so... we want to keep one of us with you, all the time” he looked apologetic. 

Wait, that was it? They wanted to... They still believed  him? The wave of relief that washed through him was brief and made his head spin. 

But, wait

No, that was a horrible idea. If they did that...

“You’ll all be in danger if you do that” he said looking around at them “and half of you have work or exams upcoming...  _ I  _ have exams next week” 

“Well yes, but we figure between all of us...” 

“We just want to make sure you’re  _ safe” _

“We won’t get in the way of your classes” 

They all spoke at once, and he just shook his head. They couldn’t do this, they all had  _ lives _ and he certainly wasn’t going to get in the way of it. 

“Caleb” he turned, almost automatically towards the soft voice beside him.  Mollymauks expression was soft, open. 

“We wouldn’t suggest this if we didn’t want to do it” he held up a finger when Caleb started to  interrupt “ _ or _ if we didn’t think we could manage it with how our lives are” 

“but” 

“No buts, think about it, the only difference  _ really _ will be nights that I work. You already see Beau and Fjord on campus, and we  usually spend the evenings at the apartment with Jester and Beau...or just by ourselves” he paused, smiling slightly “so, all that really changes, is that when I’m  working... One of the others will come over to be with you”

Caleb thought it over, he still wasn’t sure...

“I don’t... I don’t want to be a burden” he mumbled

There was a scuffle as suddenly a pair of bright blue arms wrapped around him 

“Oh Cay- leeb ! You’re so  _ sweet _ ! But we just want to look out for you, you should  definitely just let us okay?” 

Caleb sighed, and nodded. He would have to think of some better arguments. 

They all piled into  Yeza’s SUV after dinner, flipping the two very back seats up for Beauregard and Jester to sit in. The drive to the shop was short but loud, Jester and Beauregard insisted on singing their own, much ruder, versions of the holiday music on the radio. Veth spent half her time laughing at them and the other half telling them off. When they reached the shop, they all spilled out of the SUV, laughing and still singing. Jester and  Mollymauk ran in ahead, drawn in by the shining lights and sparkling decorations in the window. 

They were some of the last people to leave, Caleb and  Yeza apologizing to the employees for the ruckus while the other four raided the shelves for anything the sparkled. Caleb wandered down one aisle, having stepped away for a moment, and happened along a display of “Baby’s First  Winterscrest ” ornaments. 

Smirking with rarely acted on mischief, he dug around until he found a bright teal one, with a sparkling purple pattern that reminded him distinctly of feathers. It was the only one of its kind in the box, so he grabbed it. He managed to sneak through the cash without the others knowing, joining them with his little bag as they headed towards the cashier to pay. 

“What did you buy Caleb?” Jester asked excitedly, he winked and held a finger up to his lips

“It’s a surprise!” 

All of them left with way more bags then he felt they really needed, but he didn’t say anything. They were all so excited, and none more so than  Mollymauk . He had three  _ very _ full looking bags as they climbed back into the car. When  Yeza pulled up to the apartment, they all made their way upstairs to get the extra tree,  Mollymauk and Beau offering to help bring it downstairs again. 

Jester looked around the apartment, exclaiming over the tree before turning to Caleb

“We should all get together to decorate!”

Caleb smiled “that sounds fun, I only have one class tomorrow, but if you and Beauregard want to come over after we could have dinner too” 

Jester was bouncing “yes!  Yes let's do that!”

Jester helped Caleb move the tree over to the balcony window, right in the center of the wall. Once Beauregard and  Mollymauk returned, they confirmed the plans to have a “decorating party” the next evening, the girls said their goodbyes and headed upstairs to their apartment. Caleb let out a sigh. As much as he loved his friends, and he did, the pure chaos of them could be tiring. 

“That was a long day, eh love?” 

He turned and smiled at  Mollymauk , the Tiefling was sitting on the kitchen island, unpacking the bags. Caleb was sure he had never seen that much tinsel before in his life. 

“ _ ja _ , a good day, but a long one”  Frumpkin wound around his ankles, then hopped up onto the island with  Mollymauk and started sniffing the bags. 

Mollymauk reached out to scratch  Frumpkins ears, and Caleb couldn’t help but smile as he realized both tails were swaying happily. 

“I am going to get some sleep I think, I have class early tomorrow” he paused, eyeing the bags again “don’t stay up  _ too  _ late hm  Mr Mollymauk ? We will have a busy afternoon tomorrow” 

“You’ll be  home early right? No seminars?” 

Caleb nodded, heading for his room. He waved once at the door, taking a moment to enjoy the sight of  Mollymauk and  Frumpkin surrounded by sparkling  tinsel , and then went to bed. 

Today had been a very good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting with Molly this chapter?? WHat? lawl. I wanted this to be a little bit Molly-centric, since it's his first Winterscrest and all!   
> Do we love Caleb getting a little bolder? Cause I kind of love Caleb getting a little bolder. 
> 
> Timeline Check In!  
> This Chapter is Da'leysen the 5th (with brief mention of the 4th: the "lazy day")  
> Caleb's exams are the 13th-17th  
> Winterscrest is the 20th!


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decorating! Holiday Clothes! Pure Toothrotting Fluff!

Part One

Caleb

Caleb woke the next morning to his alarm buzzing next to the bed. He turned it off, forcing himself up out of bed with a sigh. He noticed several unfortunate popping sounds as he  stretched, and resolved to ask Beauregard for any tips on how he could stop that. He opened the window, it was still snowing gently, making the city look much prettier than usual. It was then that his flawless internal clock caught up with his brain.

He didn’t have class until 11.

It was 7am.

“Well... fuck”

He sighed again, walked back to bed and lay down. He knew he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep, but he could at least relax a little bit. He scrolled through his phone for a few minutes before he remembered the photo from yesterday. Pulling up  Mollymauks messages, he clicked to download the picture and just stared for a moment. They looked so happy, and  Mollymauk had been right... it really did look like something you would use as a  Winterscrest card.

Maybe they  _ should _ get some printed, just to bother Beauregard. He smiled at that thought, he could almost see her annoyed face now. 

Maybe.

Thinking of their adventures the previous day, Caleb opened the side table drawer and pulled out the bag from the holiday store. He stared at the sparkling decoration; he knew  Mollymauk would find it funny. He thought for a bit, trying to decide if he should give it to his roommate before everyone got there, or wait until they were  actually decorating . The chance of (mostly good natured) teasing from the others was high either way... But it would be fun to see his face when he opened it. 

Caleb pulled out a book, setting the decoration back in the drawer, and spent the next little while just reading. Once 9am rolled around, he stood and headed for the kitchen. He pulled together a  fairly simple breakfast of western omelets and toast; and made sure to put the first cup of coffee directly into the fridge for Mollymauk. Caleb didn’t  _ really _ understand the obsession with “iced coffee”, but it made the other man happy... so it was fine.

As he was starting to nibble at his own plate, the door to  Mollymauks room opened wide and out walked the (as usual) half-naked  Tiefling . 

“Good morning darling, something smells yummy”

“Good morning, I’ve left you an  omelet in the pan, and  there's toast as well”

Mollymauk walked over, patting Caleb's cheek with a quiet word of thanks as he started buttering his toast. It wasn’t until he had a plateful of food and was sitting at the island that his eyes snapped to Caleb. 

“Wait, shouldn’t you be in class by now?”

Caleb shook his head, smiling “No  no , my early class is a seminar, so it’s not on this week” 

Mollymauk nodded “right right, I forgot about that”

“ So, did I” Caleb laughed.

They spent the next hour or so just eating breakfast and chatting, planning out the afternoon with their friends.  Mollymauk was going to the grocery store while Caleb was in class to grab dinner supplies. As Caleb left for the bus, he couldn’t help but think of how much he was looking forward to this  Winterscrest . 

\----

Fjord met Caleb at the bus stop, walking and chatting on the way to his class. They split off, with Fjord making him  _ promise _ to wait after class was out.

Transmutation was one of Caleb’s  favourite classes, it had been the first class he sighed up for when he enrolled in the university. Of course, he had gone from a single major  _ in _ Transmutation to a double in Transmutation and  Dunamancy before the winter break had even started last year. And as fascinating as  Dunamancy was, Transmutation would always be his first love. 

It had been what got him the scholarships he needed after all. The spell he had created to give Veth back her halfling form had been more than enough to prove to the board that he deserved a space at (and the support of)  Zadash U. 

Review days were still boring though. He sat through it, idly going over notes he had memorized already. He was planning to speak with his student advisor at the end of the year to see if he could get permission to do the third year courses online over the summer break, so he could go directly into the final year the next fall. If he kept his marks up as he had been, he was hopeful. 

Finally, class ended, a very dull three hours later, and Caleb was heading home with Fjord beside him. He really had to bundle up now, with winter properly upon them. The snow was thick on the ground, causing the gross muddy slush at the curbs. It was one thing he never got used to, he still preferred the small towns in winter. Less slush and mud, more snow. He pushed back memories of his parents Before, of rolling around in the snow and sitting by the fire with hot chocolate after. Of winter colds and big, handmade blankets.

Before he could fall too far into  _ that _ state of mind, the bus pulled up to his stop. Stepping out, he froze as he heard shouting,  turning wide-eyed to Fjord. A scream. 

They ran, ran around the back of the building with panic filling his lungs and... oh.

He stopped and stared; panic being replaced by glee as he saw his friends. Someone had started a snowball fight. Beau, Jester and Caduceus were on one side of this imaginary line, while Veth, Molly and  Yasha were on the other.  Yeza was sitting on a cleared off bench, cheering Veth on.  Yasha and Caduceus seemed  fairly unsure about the whole thing, but from the look of it  Yasha still had a good arm. Caleb walked forward, not calling out. They stopped at the bench and he and Fjord put their schoolbags down 

“Hey there fellas”  Yeza said with a smile at them

“Hallo  Yeza , glad you could join us... who’s winning?”

“Honestly, no idea, but they sure are having fun” 

Caleb laughed at that, because of  _ course _ they were. The Mighty Nein could find fun anywhere. 

“CALEB!!” Veth yelled, waving to him “CALEB COME HERE, YOU’RE ON OUR TEAM!”

“Hey! Fjords ours then, otherwise it’s not even!” Beauregard called as Caleb walked over

“Does not, I’m tiny, so  _ really _ it’s still uneven!” 

“Ah” Caleb interrupted, hugging Veth quickly “but you forget, I am from the north. I have experience” He smiled fondly at his tiny friend “and besides  _ liebling _ _ ,  _ you are very intimating when you want to be”

She beamed at him, and the game resumed. It turned out they were  fairly evenly matched in the end, since neither  Yasha nor Molly had much experience with snowball fights, but neither did Fjord, Jester or Caduceus. Caleb hadn’t laughed this much in ages, his cheeks were bright red and he knew his nose would be running like a tap as soon as they went inside, but he didn’t care. He ran and dodged as best as he could, and even managed to hit Beauregard several times (a personal achievement really). As the sun was sinking, and Caleb knew they would be going in soon, he knew it was time. He grabbed a handful of snow, and once  Mollymauk had turned his back...

“ Got’cha !” he yelled as he hit the  Tiefling square in the back of the neck with the freezing pile in his hand, watching it slide down the lavender neck. 

Mollymauk _ shrieked _ , jumped and spun around in one swift movement. He grabbed Caleb’s wrists and, clearly trying not to laugh pulled the human in closer.

“Oh, you absolute beast!” Caleb swallowed as he noticed the smirk on the other man's face “this means war you know” 

Caleb smirked back “bring it on Mr. Mollymauk”

Finally,  Yeza yelled out that is was nearly 4, and they ought to head in if they wanted dinner. They all tromped in, leaving trails of snow and water behind them. The entire elevator was a puddle by the  time they got to the second floor. Once they were in the apartment, everyone pulled off soaked coats, scarves and boots. Caleb looked at the pile of wet clothes and sighed 

“Okay,  Mollymauk , please grab the hamper for me? I’m going to take these downstairs to the dryers” 

“ Ohh excellent idea darling!” the Tiefling darted off to grab the big plastic hamper they used for towels and sheets. He came back, setting down the hamper and then pulling off his green sweater without a second thought.

“Good plan Molly!” called Jester, also pulling off her top layer, before Caleb could say anything,  all of his friends were standing in their undershirts or bras.  Yeza was staring pointedly at a wall, and Caleb was thinking of joining him... but his own sweater  _ was _ wet... He sighed, tugged it off and added it to the basket. 

He walked to the laundry room in his t-shirt, dumped all their clothes and coats and scarves into several dryers, and headed back upstairs. 

Part Two

Molly

Molly tried to keep his eyes to himself when Caleb (begrudgingly) pulled off his top layer. It was a mark of his trust in them that he even  _ did _ that sort of thing now. It left the pale scars all along the humans’ arms completely on display, but to the Nein’s credit, no one so much as flinched.

Jester clapped her hands, looking at all of them.

“Okay  soooo , I was totally going to save these for later, but since we all need shirts  _ anyway”  _ She opened her bright pink bag and pulled out several bags. Skipping to the island, she dumped all the bags out and Molly gasped in delight. 

“UGLY HOLIDAY SWEATERS!” Jester called cheerfully, holding up a bright pink one covered in tinsel and bells before pulling it over her own head. 

“Oh  _ hells _ yes” Beau laughed, pushing all the sweaters around so they were visible. 

Jester had clearly grabbed one for everyone, and they seemed like they were even personalized in one way or another. 

For Beau there was a blue one with “My Gay Apparel” written across it and glittery snowflakes all over it. For  Yasha , a black one with a white tree covered in skulls and brightly  coloured flowers. For Veth, a green one with an elf dressed in rogue clothes holding a loaded crossbow that say “Seasons Greetings” across the bolt. For  Yeza , a green sweater with a  Wintercrest tree shaped periodic table and beakers full of glitter. For Fjord, a dark blue one with “My  Nauhti Wintercrest Sweater” where the A in  nauhti was a sailboat, and a pattern of boats and snowflakes across the top and bottom. For Caduceus she had found a pastel green one covered in tinsel flowers and gingerbread cookies. For Molly there was a sweater with a red and green diamond pattern, each diamond outlined in silver tinsel and accented with contrasting glittery ornaments. 

And finally, for Caleb, a black sweater with an orange tabby wearing a holly wreath and bells around its neck, surrounded by balls of tinsel and little red bows. 

They all pulled them on eagerly, marveling at Jesters ability to find things like this. When Molly heard the doorknob turn, he whipped around, holding the sweater meant for Caleb. His roommate walked in, shut the door, set down the hamper and turned to look at them. Molly burst out laughing at the look of complete shock and confusion on Caleb’s face as he took in the raucous image before him. And then he started to laugh, bright, full laughter.

Molly couldn’t help but join in, and he heard the others start too.

“What...  _ where?” _ Caleb gasped, looking from one person to the next, settling on Molly with joyful blue eyes. 

Jester giggled “oh I ordered them  _ months  _ ago! I was going to save them for  Winterscrest but I thought, well, this was  _ totally _ a better idea!” 

“Jester, these are ridiculous” Caleb laughed again as Molly presented him with the cat sweater “and absolutely perfect” 

\----

It took them a while to settle from the excitement of the snowball fight and the insane sweaters, but soon enough Molly was pulling out all the decorations he had bought. Molly stood, staring at the bare tree for a moment while he tried to figure out where to start. 

“Lights first” came Caleb’s voice from right next to him, Molly jumped slightly, and heard Caleb chuckled. 

“Lights, then tinsel, then the beaded garlands, then hanging decorations” he ticked them off on his fingers as he spoke, looking at the tree contemplatively. 

“And then the star!” Beau called out from the kitchen, she and Caduceus were starting something called mulled wine, plus hot chocolate and cider. 

Molly gasped, horrified. How had he forgotten? 

“What’s wrong Mollymauk?” Caleb was looking at him with concern clear on his face

“I forgot to buy the star” he pouted “Yash and I found a gorgeous one at the antique place that I meant to go back for... but I forgot” he felt his tail droop as he looked back at the tree. Poor tree wouldn’t look right without the pretty topper on it. 

Molly felt a warm hand on his arm, and looked over to see Caleb smiling softly at him

“Well, why don’t we start with what we have? We can always add the star later”

Molly felt the warmth bloom in his chest at the contact, and he fought back a smile as he sighed dramatically 

“I  _ guess _ we could do that” 

The laugh he got in return was worth the dramatics. 

They started putting on the lights, magical little orbs of light on strings that glowed softly. As they were unwrapping the tinsel, Jesters voice rang out from the bookshelf.

“Caaay-leb? Do you still have that old record player?”

Caleb nodded “ _ ja _ Jester, the suitcase under the middle bookshelf” 

Molly looked over, and saw Jester pull out what looked like a vintage suitcase, which she set on the coffee table before  opening up . Molly gasped, inside the case was a record player, which Jester set to cleaning off carefully. 

“Where are the records?” Beau called now “Ah, just a moment” Caleb replied. 

He handed Molly the tinsel, now unwrapped, and Molly watched as the human disappeared into his own room. When he reappeared a moment later, he was carrying a milk-crate full of very old (slightly worse for wear) records. 

“ Mr Caleb! You never mentioned you had these!” He tried to sound offended, but he was too excited. It looked just like something out of an old movie. 

Caleb flushed that pretty pink again and Molly’s heart stuttered.

“Vell...well, I only have holiday music you see... so it’s never really come up?” 

“We found the whole set in the trash our first week here!” Veth called happily from where she and  Yeza were starting on dinner “it took me  _ ages _ to fix, but it was worth it” 

Ah, that explained it. Caleb still didn’t talk much about his first few months here... Molly had gotten a few snippets from Beau and Jester, it sounded like the man had been in rough shape. Molly felt that odd twist in his chest at the idea of Caleb, sad and hurting, listening to the records with Veth during their first holiday with an actual home. Gods. 

“Well, we absolutely  _ need _ music, so it’s perfect timing!” he enthused. 

Jester nodded happily, shifting through the pile of records before selecting one. Molly turned back to the tree, smiling as upbeat music filled the apartment. Between himself, Caleb and  Yasha , they got the tinsel, garland and ribbon bows on the tree  fairly quickly . Caleb disappeared into his room again while everyone started pulling out the hanging decorations. Jester made  _ several _ ball-based jokes while they hung them up. Caleb came back out with the mystery bag from their shopping trip, Molly realized he had forgotten all about it.

Caleb walked over and handed the bag to Molly, looking down sheepishly. Molly took it and raised an eyebrow. 

“Just... you open it, it’s for you” Caleb stuttered, cheeks pink again.

“Oh Mr. Caleb, an early  Winterscrest gift? For  _ me?”  _ he teased as he pulled out the tissue wrapped object. He tugged the tissue off, and gasped. It was a decoration, a bright teal ball with glittery purple patterns all around it ( were they feathers? They looked like feathers). Across the front, in gold script, it said “Baby’s First  Winterscrest ” with a bow painted underneath. Instead of a metal hook at the top, there was a silky blue ribbon tied to hang it on the tree with. 

Molly felt, for the third time that day, the now-familiar tug in his chest and a prickling behind his eyes. He looked up at Caleb, tearing his eyes from the pretty gift, to meet blue eyes full of  uncertainty. 

“This is... this is so incredibly  _ sweet _ Caleb” he said softly 

Caleb's ears went red and he rubbed the back of his neck, looking away “I ah- I was going more for funny, but sweet is good too  _ ja _ ?” 

Molly smiled, gods this man was too much, he leaned in and kissed Caleb’s forehead 

“Sweet is excellent darling”

Caleb huffed out a laugh, mumbling something about wanting a drink, and retreated to the kitchen. Molly caught Jesters eye and held up the bauble, eyes wide. She gave him a double thumbs up and skipped over to take  Calebs spot decorating. The others all joined in at one point or another, eventually all the decorations were up. They even managed to include symbols of the  Wildmother ,  Stormlord ,  Moonweaver and the Traveler. By the time the tree was done, it was beautiful. Some people would have said chaotic, with the sheer amount of sparkle and  colour , but as far as Molly was concerned it was  _ perfect _ . 

They had dinner then,  Yeza and Veth had whipped up a tasty chicken dish, with lots of vegetables and pasta (for Caduceus). They ate on the floor, since the island was too small and the coffee table was covered in records, but no one minded. Veth handed Molly a mug of the mulled wine that she and Caleb were drinking... it smelled and tasted oddly familiar. When he mentioned as much, Caduceus laughed

“That’s where I got the idea for the tea” 

“ Ooohhh , that makes more sense!” 

Once everyone had eaten their fill, and the dishes were returned to the kitchen, Molly and Jester started pulling out the last of the decorations. Caleb took a moment to excuse himself so he could get their jackets out of the dryers.

“I thought the tree was done?” Beau asked, taking a long pull from her glass as they laid out more tinsel and garlands. 

“Well  _ yes,  _ but there’s still the doorframes, and bookshelves, and the edges of the island,  _ and  _ _ and _ __ _ and _ the windows!” Jester responded, rolling her eyes as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Caleb laughed, taking a sip from his own mug. Molly noticed the faint blush hadn’t left Caleb’s cheeks, clearly the wine was doing its job. He couldn’t help but snicker, the wine was getting to him too. Who would have thought that warm wine would be good? 

“The tree  _ isn’t _ done yet though” Molly pouted 

“Not quite”  Yasha said softly, she walked over to Jesters bag and pulled out a small box, walking back and smiling at Molly. The Tiefling looked back up,  curiosity all over his face as he took the offered box. 

Tugging it open he burst out laughing, it was the star from the antique shop! 

“Yash! My sweet love!” He threw his arms up around the taller  womans neck, mindful as ever of his horns. She hugged him back, laughing.

“I knew you would forget, so I went back for you” she chuckled as he let go to rush over to the tree. It was a five-pointed star, the glass was stained in an ombre with white at the outermost tip, leading into yellow, to orange, to red, and then sapphire blue right in the center. There was one gold spike between each point, ending in a pretty clear diamond shape. He attached it to the top of the tree, adjusting some of the lights to shine around it before stepping back to admire.

“There,  _ now _ we can do the rest of the apartment” he said cheerfully. He stood on tip toes to kiss  Yasha’s cheek as he passed, picked up his glass and made his way back to the island. 

By the time they were taping the last end of a tinsel rope to the end of the kitchen island, everyone (except  Yeza , Cad and Jester) were several cups of wine or cider deep. Jester sighed happily, nodding at Molly who smiled brightly back.

“It looks  _ wunderbar _ Mr.  Mollymauk ” Caleb said from his seat on the couch with Frumpkin

“Thank you darling!” Molly heard himself coo, watching Caleb’s cheeks flame up.

“Ex- _ cuse _ __ me! I helped too!” said Jester, hands on her hips and a theatrical pout on her face. Caleb laughed, setting his drink on the table and walking over 

“Of course, you did, you two make a formidable team” (Molly noted a fumbling slur around the word ‘formidable ’ but ignored it). Caleb took one of Jesters hands and placed it on his shoulder while taking her other hand, then he put his free hand on her waist gently. She laughed as he started waltzing her around the room, and Molly felt the slightly twinge of jealousy as Caleb smiled brightly. 

They made a few rotations before Caleb, with surprising skill for how much wine he’d had, spun Jester into Beaus arms. Both women laughed and Molly noticed Beau look to  Yasha before starting to try and copy what Caleb had been doing.  Yasha was smiling warmly at them, a laugh escaping when the two stumbled at one point. 

It was while he was watching this that he felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned and was surprised to see Caleb standing with his hand out and a smile.

“Dance with me?”

Molly smirked “I thought you couldn’t dance” 

Caleb shrugged and  _ winked _ at him, making Molly’s cheeks heat up. He took the offered hand, allowing Caleb to pull him in. Molly placed a hand on the humans' shoulder, and felt a warm weight settle on his hip. To his surprise, he felt warm breath on his ear as Caleb pulled him closer

“Just follow my lead,  _ ja _ ?” his voice was soft, but sure. 

So, what else could Molly do but exactly that? He let himself be led through the steps, they weren’t very complicated, and Caleb was sure footed. Molly caught  Yasha’s eye at one point, she was sitting on the kitchen island next to Cad, and she flashed him a bright grin and a thumbs up. He laughed, leaning in as they spun away. 

The others were dancing now too, Beau had swung Jester into Fjords arms and had pulled  Yasha out of the kitchen.  Yeza and Veth were happily spinning about, and Cad was swaying along, having declined the offer from Beau to cut in. 

Eventually, that side of the record ended, and they all slowed to a stop except for  Yeza and Veth, who were turning in sleepy circles in one place now. Jester started clapping as they pulled away, commenting on the “wonderful performance”, and they all joined in. Laughing, Molly turned to see Caleb staring at him with a fond smile on his face. He felt his own expression soften to match that of the man in front of him (“Gods but he is sweet...” Molly thought). 

Just then,  Yeza’s voice broke through

“This has been tons of fun everyone, but I’m  gonna get Veth home now, does anyone need a ride?” 

Caduceus and Fjord both accepted, and the goodbye hugs started. Veth clung just a little longer to Caleb, mumbling something that made him smile. He spoke back, but they were too quiet to hear. 

Soon after, Beau (yawning) was led out by  Yasha and Jester,  Yasha planning to stay the night with the girls. Beau had work tomorrow, so  Yasha had promised to make her go to bed “at least kind of early”. 

With that, it was just Molly and Caleb again (and Frumpkin, who was laying under the tree watching the lights, of course). 

Molly looked over to where Caleb was standing, he still had a small smile on his face, and was staring at the tree. Molly walked over, sliding his arm through Caleb’s like when they had gone tree shopping and sighed

“Isn’t it perfect love?”

He felt the human relax against  him and leaned his head down (always careful of the horns).

“It is, I didn’t realize how much I missed having one until we...well, until we got this one” 

Molly nodded, he felt comfortably buzzed and just the right level of sleepy. He was  _ very _ glad that Gus had given himself and  Yasha the night off. 

Caleb turned slightly, and Molly lifted his head to look. Caleb was smiling, eyes warm in the light from the tree as he turned farther and placed a hand back on Molly’s hip. Molly smiled and lifted his hand up onto Caleb’s shoulder, their other hands tangling almost naturally. They danced slower this time, not a real waltz, more just spinning slowly, and Molly leaned in, resting his head against Caleb’s shoulder.

“There’s no music” he mumbled, he really was sleepy

Caleb’s voice was practically a whisper when he replied

“I always hear music when you’re around”

\----

Molly wasn’t sure how long they danced for, but eventually he was in his bed, in his  pj’s , jewelry off. He could only vaguely remember the steps that got to that point; Caleb whispering that they ought to sleep, Molly not wanting to (but how could he say no to those eyes for long?), warm hands helping him remove jewelry... a pretty blush and eyes gluing themselves to the ceiling when he changed... but he  _ did _ remember the light pressure on his forehead that came with a whispered “good night”. 

He dreamed of blue eyes and tinsel. 

Part Three

Beau

**_ Grissen _ **

Beauregard  Lionett was a lot of things; tough, wily, and  hella gay to name a few. 

Today, hungover could be added to the list.

She was supposed to be sorting the returns or going over the study room schedule... or really anything related to her actual job at the library. But she couldn’t focus. Between the wine last night and her preoccupation with the fact that Astrid had shown up at the bar, at  Fletchings , only a few days before... 

There was no way that was a coincidence, which meant the woman had to be watching them. Beau knew that they couldn’t be scrying on Caleb, thanks to his necklace (a parting gift from the police who  _ still _ hadn’t found  Iky and his little worshippers, fucking useless), which left good  old-fashioned stalking.

Beau had done what she told Caleb she would do, because Beau always kept her word when she gave it. She had taken the matter to her superior... or mentor? Whatever.  Dairon , and asked if they had any information on this cult. They hadn’t known much about it off hand, but the name “ Volstruker ” had  rung a bell, so they had promised to  look into it. But she wanted information  _ now,  _ the cult was too dangerous to just wait around. 

Beau sighed, leaning back in the way that always pissed  Zeenoth off and made Caleb roll his eyes. She wished Caleb was working with her,  Grissen shifts  _ sucked _ . 

She needed to focus. 

A soft “um...” from in front of her made her open her eyes. Standing at the desk was the pretty blonde girl who had been haunting the library lately. Beau smiled at her, sitting up in the seat

“Hello again” she smirked as the girl looked away,  embarrassed

“H-hi... I was wondering...” 

Beau raised an eyebrow, listening to the girl stutter for a minute before she put her out of her misery 

“If you’re looking for Caleb, he’s off this week”

Blondie looked up, startled and then disappointed 

“He’s got a ton of exams, so he took the week off to study” Beau lied with practiced ease, no one else needed to know that Caleb was too freaked out to be anywhere but class and home (at least not without them around). 

Blondie nodded, looking downtrodden. Beau felt for her, it sucked having a thing for someone who didn’t know you existed. 

“Look” she said, a little more gently “don’t take this the wrong way, you’re cute and all, but Caleb is already into someone else” 

Pretty eyes hit hers, and Beau noticed a subtle shift as they hit the light... they didn’t seem as green today? That was odd. The girl looked disappointed, but nodded “thanks for telling me” 

Beau was suspicious now... that nagging sense of  _ something  _ being wrong. She nodded, and the girl sighed and started towards the stacks. Beau gave her a minute's head start, then followed, creeping silently through the aisles of books. She caught sight of blonde hair rounding a corner towards a back  set of stairs. Beau got close enough to see her from behind a shelf and had to hold back a gasp as there was a shift in the air around the girl, like old TV static. Long blonde hair fading into short cropped brown, pretty green eyes shifting to cold brown. A long, nasty looking, scar down one side of her face.

And scars, scars all along her arms  _ just _ like  Caleb's .

Beau waited until the girl,  _ Astrid,  _ disappeared down the stairs and then ran back to her desk. She whipped out her phone, pressing  Yasha’s name. It rang twice before she picked up

“Hey Beau, what’s up? I’m at work”

“I know, I need you to check something on the tapes from the other night”

Yasha didn’t ask which night, Beau heard her say something quietly, and a voice that sounded like Gus respond

“Okay, just a sec” 

Beau waited, listening to the sounds of a door being opened and a mouse clicking

“Okay, what am I looking for?” 

“Blonde girl, longish hair, green eyes” 

Yasha hummed in response “sounds familiar...” she mumbled and then “oh, yep, there she is. She came in after Molly’s show” she paused again and Beau heard more mouse clicks “left just after you guys, but I don’t see her on the other footage...” 

Beau cursed “it’s her, Astrid, she can disguise herself”

Yasha growled in annoyance “well  _ that _ explains how she got in”

“She’s been here Yash, at the library,  _ listening _ to us for weeks”

“You need to tell the  others; I’m stuck at work all night again... and Molly is bartending with me”

Beau nodded, despite being on the phone “yeah, Jester and I will hang out at Caleb's. I’ll fill him in if you can fill in Molly”

“Okay, will do” 

Beau hung up, sighing. 

It was going to be a long night. 

\----

When Beau finally back to the apartment, Jester was waiting with their overnight bags already packed. Beau eyed the grocery bag next to them curiously.

“Cookie stuff!” Jester smiled brightly “I figured we could make holiday cookies!”

Beau rolled her eyes and smiled “yeah okay, you and Cay can make cookies, I’ll help by not touching them until they’re done”

They each grabbed a bag and made their way downstairs to Caleb and Molly’s place. Jester knocked happily and Beau raised an eyebrow, Jester usually just walked right in.

“Molly mentioned that Caleb had been doing like  _ all _ the locks, even the deadbolt” Jester said, in response to the look. 

“Ahh, gotcha” 

And sure enough, after a few seconds Beau heard the tell-tale sounds of someone unlocking at least 6 locks. Well, at least they were being cautious. 

The door opened and Molly was standing there in a red silk shirt with sheer sleeves and a pair of tight black jeans. 

“Hey ladies! C’mon in” he stepped back, letting them in and shutting the door “we ate already but there’s leftovers if you’re hungry, and beer in the fridge too” 

Beau turned and raised an eyebrow at the Tiefling “ y’know we’ve been here  before, right?” 

Molly’s cheeks went a darker shade of purple and he looked away, his tail curled around his own ankle

“Yeah, duh Unpleasant one... I just...” he trailed off and following his eyes she saw Caleb sitting with a book and his headphones on the couch. Ah. Beau felt a surge of affection for the poor purple man, he was worried. Very clearly worried, about leaving Caleb. 

“We’re going to make cookies!” Jester interjected, pulling Molly’s attention and making him smile “we  _ might _ be able to even save a few for you probably”

He laughed, and Beau sighed, she was glad (selfishly) that  Yasha was going to be the one to tell Molly about Astrid's ability. She started helping Jester unpack, trying not to watch as Molly walked over and tapped Caleb’s shoulder. She  _ also  _ tried to ignore the sappy way they looked at each other while Molly said goodbye, ugh. They really needed to just  fucking talk it out already, the pining was gross. 

Once Molly had said goodbye, Caleb walked over, setting his headphones and book on one of the bookshelves along the way.

“Hallo, I’m sorry I didn’t hear you come in”

“That’s  _ totally  _ okay Caleb! We started getting ready” she indicated the baking supplies in front of her and Caleb laughed 

“It has been a very long time since I baked cookies Jester”

“That’s totally okay! Between the three of us we can  definitely figure it out!” 

Beau watched for a little while as Caleb pulled out bowls and whisks and all the other bits they would need.  Finally deciding that she had to tell him now, sooner rather than later. 

“Hey uh... so I have some news on the Astrid front” she said reluctantly, everything stopped as both Jester and Caleb whipped around to stare.

“What is it?” Caleb asked, clearly nervous.

“I saw her today, at the library” Caleb went pale “she was disguised at first but... well, I got a weird feeling and followed her until she dropped the  disguise ” 

There was a moment of silence before Caleb, voice quiet, asked “who was she  disguised as?”

“Blondie” 

Caleb leaned back against the counter, and Beau knew that all the pieces were sliding together in his mind. How she had known where he would be, how she knew about the bar, about all of them... 

“So... the other night at  Fletching's ” 

“Yes, she came in as Blondie... and left as her too” Beau sighed “ Yasha saw her on the tapes, they won’t let her in again but that doesn’t help much” 

“She vas... always very good at disguises” Caleb muttered, almost to himself “I should have  _ known”  _

“How could you have? That’s the whole  _ point  _ of a disguise” Jester said soothingly “and there’s nothing we can do about it now anyway.” 

They both looked at her, but Jester just shrugged “what’s done is done right? Now we just stick with our plan, and don’t talk about anything where other people can hear us” 

Beau caught Caleb’s eye, he shrugged, accepting. Jester was right really, it was too late now, they just needed to focus on keeping Caleb safe until the Soul could find the cult. 

Slowly, they went back to baking, Jester insisting on putting holiday music on for them. The tension did fade eventually, the smell of baking cookies mixing with the pine scent from the tree and the  music in the air. By the time they were ready to settle in for bed, they had all eaten way too many cookies, and were warm and sleepy. Caleb slept in his room, while Jester (at Beau’s insistence) slept on the couch and Beau made a nest on the floor next to her. Beau woke once, around 3am, when Molly opened the door. Once she realized who it was, she settled back down to sleep, comforted by the 6 locks on the apartment door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May I offer you some FLuff in these trying times? Take this chapter and hold it in your heart as protection for later >:3  
> Also to the person who guessed a couple chapters ago that Blondie was Astrid: ta-daaaaah! 🤣  
> Holiday Sweaters 
> 
> Fjord: https://bit.ly/FjordSweater  
> Yeza: https://bit.ly/YezaSweater  
> Beau: https://bit.ly/BeauSweater  
> Molly: https://bit.ly/MollySweater  
> Caleb: https://bit.ly/CalebSweater


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yikes! Caleb Widogast And The No-Good Very Bad Day! 
> 
> But seriously folx, new tags for this chapter:
> 
> Dubious Consent  
> TW: Blood  
> TW: Mild Fantasy Racism  
> The violent section isn't super duper graphic, but blood/bleeding/injuries are mentioned so be aware!!

Part One: 

Caleb 

It had been five days, five days of being constantly watched by one or more of his friends. Three days since Veth had come over while he was on campus and installed security cameras above his front and balcony doors (“on the outside, don’t worry!”). Two days since he had locked himself in the bathroom for over an hour, taking a bath he didn’t need, just to get away from the constant eyes on him. 

Caleb loved his friends, he didn’t believe he even _deserved_ friends, let alone friends who would re-work their entire lives just to try and keep him safe. 

He loved them, but by the Gods he was so tired of being constantly watched. He could feel the guilt and annoyance battling it out in his gut. Guilt that they had done so much for him, and annoyance for his loss of personal space. Then more guilt, because they had done _so much_ for him and here he was... annoyed about it. 

He sighed, sitting at the kitchen island and staring into his coffee. Mollymauk had put cinnamon in with the grounds today. It was very tasty, but Caleb was too frustrated to enjoy it properly. 

The Tiefling was just finishing his own shower, getting ready to go to campus with Caleb. The routine for his classes had become this: Mollymauk took the bus with him to campus, then Fjord, Beau or Jester sat in on his class. If they weren’t available, Mollymauk would stay instead. 

The professors didn’t seem to care much, since this was the last week of class before exams and most of them were just free-form review. Students pairing up and studying, with the prof there in case of questions. 

Luckily enough (he supposed) Folsen was a short day now, thanks to him being off work. Only his History of Exandria course, which went from 10-1. 

Unluckily, Fjord and Jester also had a class, and Beauregard was working. So Mollymauk would have to stay. 

Not that Caleb minded Mollymauk being in classes with him (other than the general annoyance at being babysat), other than Fjord the Tiefling was the least distracting of his friends. Which had been a shock. Beauregard spent the lessons making her boredom _very_ clear and trying to get him to leave, and Jester spent them trying to pull pranks on his classmates. 

Mollymauk mostly just sat and watched him study or played on his cellphone. 

But... Essek was in this class, and Caleb couldn’t help thinking about the weird energy between the two of them last time they saw each other. It made him nervous. 

Caleb looked up as his roommate called out 

“Okay darling, ready when you are” 

Mollymauk was dressed in a warm looking blue sweater and a pair of black leggings with a pattern of Winterscrest decorations all over them. Caleb couldn’t help but smile at the dedication to holiday spirit, he was pretty sure the Tiefling hadn’t worn a single non-festive thing in weeks. 

Caleb grabbed his bag, resigning himself to his fate, and off they went. The bus ride over was fine, they always got a few odd looks. Mollymauk couldn’t help but pull attention, even when he was just sitting talking to Caleb. And who could blame people, really? Tieflings were still an odd sight this far north, even in a city as large as Zadash. And a lavender one? Yeah, Caleb couldn’t blame them. 

They walked through campus quickly, the snow from last weekend had led up to a proper storm a few nights ago, and the air was biting cold now. They settled in Caleb’s usual area, Mollymauk taking a seat in front of him and he pulled out his books. 

“Good morning... ah” Caleb looked up to see Essek standing by his usual seat, staring at Mollymauk. 

“Good morning Essek” Caleb said calmly “how has your week been?” 

Essek seemed to come back to himself, he sat down smoothly, pulling out his books and smiling his usual dashing smile. 

“It has been fine; I find review weeks a bit tiresome to be honest” 

Caleb nodded “yes, I agree. Though I see the necessity” 

“I keep telling him he could review just as easily from home” came Mollymauks voice “it worked out fine last week” there was a smirk on the lavender face, full of mischief. Caleb blushed 

“Having a proper environment aids in studying” Essek said, his voice cool as he looked over at Mollymauk “it helps with concentration, and retention of materials” 

The red eyes rolled, but Caleb knew that others might not recognize the expression. It was hard to tell, but the ruby eyes did have the faintest pink pupil... if you knew where to look. 

And Caleb had _definitely_ spent enough time staring at them to know exactly where to look. 

“Caleb is smart, he deserved a day off” Mollymauks expression softened as he caught Caleb looking at him. Caleb couldn’t help but smile back. 

“Of _course_ Caleb is smart” came Esseks voice, snapping Caleb back to reality “but one can always learn something new, and should strive to do so” 

Silver eyes met Caleb's, and he nodded “well of course, and I... well I’m really no smarter than anyone here” he looked down at his book, rapidly becoming uncomfortable with the attention “I just happen to have a very good memory” 

“Don’t be ridiculous darling, you’re the smartest person I know” “You shouldn’t sell yourself short, I’ve seen your work” 

Caleb looked up as both men spoke, only to see them turn and glare at each other. The odd tension was back. Caleb sighed, pulled out a highlighter, and just went back to studying. He was not in the mood to dissect all of this. 

He knew what Jester would say, she would claim they were jealous of each other. But Caleb knew better, life wasn’t like Jesters books. And Caleb knew deep in his bones that he could never draw the attention of people like Mollymauk and Essek, nor would he deserve it. 

Caleb just wanted to go home, so he could hide out in his room. He was so sick of being around people. 

Class dragged by, Mollymauk and Essek taking any opportunity to snip at each other, but _finally_ it was over. 

“See you at the exam next week Caleb” Essek said, smiling at him as they got ready to leave “I will be around all weekend if you would like to study some more” 

Caleb smiled as Mollymauk scoffed behind him “thank you Essek, I may take you up on that” 

As they left, Mollymauks tail wound around the strap of Caleb's bag, up against his back. Caleb sighed internally; he would _eventually_ need to talk to his roommate about his attitude towards Essek. They were friends, after all. 

The ride home was uneventful, Caleb whipped up a quick lunch for them while Mollymauk flipped through the movies on Netflix. They settled on a horror about a nun, curling up with hot-chocolate and their food. Frumpkin spent most of the time begging for scraps. After the movie, Mollymauk turned to him, muting the TV as the credits rolled. 

“Okay, so...” Caleb glared, he knew what was coming, they had had this argument a dozen times in the last week. 

“You’re _not_ cancelling your show Mollymauk” 

“But Caleb, Beau and Jester already agreed to stake out the bar, and Fjord is monitoring the campus... and Cad is watching the shop-” 

“and Veth is working, _ja_ Mollymauk I know” 

“So I _have_ -” 

Caleb cut him off again “no, no you don’t” he sighed as the Tiefling made an annoyed face at him. 

“You’re being _stubborn_ darling, someone needs to stay and keep you safe” 

Caleb took a breath, fighting back the surge of annoyance at being babied like this. He had to do it, he had to tell at someone. 

“Mollymauk” he started, making eye contact “I appreciate what all of you are doing, but the guilt of being a burden to all of you” he held up a hand as Mollymauk started to protest “and the stress of being _constantly_ watched are too much” the Tieflings expression changed from determined annoyance to worry 

“I am exhausted, I _need_ a break” he reached out, taking the warm purple hands in his “please, it’s not that I don’t appreciate all of you, I do. But it’s too much” he sighed, looking down at their hands “and you’ll only be gone a few hours, you don’t even have to stay after the show... though I think the girls would enjoy some time with you. _And_ , you seem to forget that I have fought people before” 

He looked back up, pleading “please, Mollymauk, _shatz_... I would absolutely hate to be the reason you didn’t sing” 

That seemed to do it. He watched at Mollymauks shoulders slumped and he sighed. 

“Okay, on three conditions” Caleb nodded, eyes sharp “One: I’m not leaving until the _very_ last second, Two: I’m only doing a short set, and three: you cannot, for _any reason,_ leave the apartment.” 

Mollymauks brow was furrowed “I mean it, nothing, not even to get air on the balcony” he seemed to think for a moment before adding “actually, four: I’m calling Beau and you have to tell her all this.” 

Caleb slumped, glaring at him. That was a low blow. 

“Fine.” he said, huffily, pulling out his phone before Mollymauk could get to his own. 

The library phone rang three times before Beaus bored voice answered 

“Zadash U Library, Beau speaking” 

“Hallo Beauregard, it’s Caleb” 

A pause 

“What’s up man?” 

“I am going to put you on speakerphone” he did “okay, I have explained to Mollymauk that as much as I love and appreciate all of you, I need a night off. I cannot be babysat 24hours a day, it is driving me mad” 

“Caleb-” 

“No, _please_ Beauregard” he paused, taking a breath “Mollymauk has agreed to do his show, under several conditions... one of which was that I call and tell you” 

He glared at the man in question, Mollymauk did not look abashed at all. There was a pause on the line before he heard a deep sigh 

“Okay look. I get it, I know you need time to yourself and... we aren’t trying to like _smother_ you or whatever. We’re just worried” she paused, and Caleb waited 

“If you _really_ want a few hours to yourself, fine, you’re an adult and shit” he couldn’t help but smirk at Mollymauk , who looked very annoyed “ _but_ I’m putting it on the record right now that I hate this idea, and Veth is going to be watching the cameras, because I’m going to text her about what an idiot I think you both are” 

Caleb exhaled, smiling “thank you Beauregard, for understanding” 

“Yeah well, we love you idiot” 

“You too _arschloch_ _”_ he responded fondly. 

They hung up and Caleb looked at Mollymauk, an eyebrow raised. The other man held up his hands in defeat. Caleb leaned over and wrapped his arms around the soft shoulders, squeezing tight. 

They spent the next few hours relaxing, Caleb felt much better knowing that he would finally get a few hours to himself. Even _if_ the time would be extremely limited. When Mollymauk left, Caleb sighed. He spent an hour watching tv before deciding to jump in the shower. He would let the hot water sooth his frayed nerves and then get on with his evening alone. 

\---- 

Caleb stepped out of the bathroom 30 minutes later, hair damp and loose around his shoulders. He had thrown on some comfortable flannel pj pants and a loose fitted black t-shirt. It had taken him a while to calm his nerves, even with the scalding water, so Caleb figured he would get some studying done. As he made his way to the kitchen, he heard the balcony doors open. He jumped at the unexpected sound, whipping around to see and frowning slightly when he saw who it was 

"Oh! Mollymauk, I didn't hear you come back" he said, sighing "you startled me” 

The Tiefling smirked at him "sorry darling, I didn't mean to sneak up on you" 

"I thought you agreed you were having a night out with the girls?" He said, trying to keep the mild frustration out of his voice. 

Mollymauk sat on the couch and patted the seat next to him, answering as Caleb walked over 

"I know, but I hated the idea of you stuck home by yourself" Caleb blushed just a bit, as much as he wanted the time alone, something about Mollymauks affection always flustered him. What had he done to deserve it? 

"I'm sorry about earlier, I really didn't-" but Mollymauk cut him off with a smile and a shake of his head 

"No, it's okay, I understand why you were frustrated. It’s hard having people around all the time" he reached over and took Caleb's hands "if it’s okay, I just figured I would rather keep you company here" 

Caleb felt his heart swell as a faint buzzing started in the back of his mind and he looked up to smile fondly at Mollymauk 

"I appreciate that _Kätzchen_ , you are always so thoughtful" 

The other man's grin widened, and he leaned in conspiratorially 

"Can I tell you a secret Caleb?" Caleb felt the blush spread to his ears as Mollymauk got closer. Caleb nodded, not trusting his voice 

"I'm being a little selfish too, staying in tonight" 

"Wha-" Caleb started, but Mollymauk leaned still closer, their lips just barely brushing as he spoke again 

"I really just wanted you all to myself" 

Caleb's eyes went wide, and before he could say anything else, Mollymauk closed the gap between them. 

It took Caleb a moment to get over the shock before he was responding automatically and kissing back, tilting his head just so to get a better angle. Mollymauk hummed into the kiss, throwing one leg over Caleb and straddling him while sharp nailed fingers wound into his hair. Caleb's hands landed on Mollymauks hips, digging in just enough to hold the other man there. 

Gods, this had to be a dream. This was what Caleb had been missing, this was all he wanted. Molly’s forked tongue ran against the seam of his lips and he parted them immediately. He could feel his head starting to spin, but he didn't want to break the kiss. Not now, and if he had his way, not ever. 

Part Two: 

Molly 

Molly had only been out for an hour and a half, and while the show had gone well, and he was having fun with Jester and Beau... He missed Caleb; he was worried. He stared down at his beer and tried not to pout too obviously, but clearly, he failed 

"Oh come oooon Molly, Caleb said he _wanted_ us to go out, don't be such a downer" 

He smiled up at her 

"Sorry darling, I just worry about him being stuck at home all alone” 

She nodded sympathetically “I know, me too, but he needed a break, and _someone_ has to keep an eye on the bar” 

Beau sighed “and the tea shop, and the library and the nerd section of campus yeah yeah yeah” 

Jester glared at her “we need to keep Caleb _safe,_ you totally said so yourself!” Beau huffed “You did! You’re the one who saw the crazy lady!” 

Beau rubbed her temples and took a swig of beer “yeah, I did, and obviously I want Caleb safe, I just think he would be safer _here_ with us. Or at the shop with Cad, or even just bumming around the library with Fjord” 

This was the issue; they had argued it to death over the last two days before Caleb finally put his foot down with Molly tonight. He didn’t want to be baby sat, and he “absolutely would not” interfere with their normal lives. 

Stubborn bastard. 

Molly knew the wards around the apartment were top notch, Caleb had set them up after all, and Veth had put up those security cameras outside the front and balcony doors... and Caleb _knew_ not to go out without one of them. 

Still, Molly had a bad feeling about all of it, a bad feeling that he was trying (against his better judgment) to ignore. He finished off his beer... maybe he was becoming just as paranoid as Veth. 

They sat for nearly another half hour, drinking and chatting and trying to pretend they weren’t all completely on edge. Gus noticed, but after a very quick and _very_ quiet explanation from Jester, he had left them to it. 

“Huh” Beaus voice was confused as she stared down at her phone 

“What’s up?” Molly asked, leaning over slightly, she tilted the phone so he could see the screen and he felt his stomach drop 

**Veth** **💣** **:** did you guys go home early? 

**Beau** : No, why? 

**Veth** **💣** **:** I just saw Molly on the balcony camera, he closed the drapes. 

**Veth** **💣** **:** WTF IS HE DOING WITH MY BOY 

**Veth** **💣** **:** YOUBETTERREPLYTOTHISMESSAGE 

Molly stared at Beau in horror for a split second before they both jumped up, Beau grabbing Jesters hand. 

“Sorry Gus I’ll pay you back later!” Molly yelled as they all ran out the door. 

\---- 

It took them 5 minutes, running flat out, to get to the apartment. They were all completely out of breath as they got to the main building doors. 

“Elevator or stairs???” Jester shouted 

“Stairs!” Beau yelled back and they all made the turn towards the stairwell doors. 

Another 3 minutes of running up the stairs and Molly was seriously regretting the beer. 

Molly yanked out his keys and fumbled with the lock, his hands shaking, before Jester reached over, took the key and unlocked the door herself. They all stormed in and Molly stopped so fast that Beau crashed into his back. 

There, on the couch, was Caleb with his hair damp and messy and his pajamas on... and _straddling_ him with their hands in his hair was... Molly? 

Molly tried to wrap his brain around the scene, it was like some twisted version of one of his dreams brought to reality, lips pressed together, one hand tangled in that soft auburn hair and Caleb's hands gripping his hips. 

But... Molly was awake, and standing by the door so... 

“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU” Beau screeched. 

The Not-Molly stopped, broke away from Caleb’s lips and turned their head to face the group at the door. For a moment they looked annoyed, but then a terrifyingly mad smile broke across their face. 

The Not-Molly stood, untangling them self from Caleb and, still smiling that awful smile they spoke 

“Oh, look Bren, we have company” 

The accent was... it was Zemnian, but it didn’t have the warm lilt that Caleb’s had. It was cold, cruel even. Molly’s eyes snapped to Caleb; he hadn’t reacted at all. His eyes were glassy, fogged over as if he was just waking from one of his nightmares. Molly stepped forward, growling 

“Who. The. FUCK. Are. You” he grabbed his sword from where it hung on the wall “and _what did you do to Caleb”_

Not-Molly's grin grew impossibly wide, and the air around them seemed to shiver for a moment. There was a distortion, like a bad TV signal and suddenly the Not-Molly was gone. In their place stood a young woman, pale with close-cropped brown hair. She was grinning in the same maniacal way, but it didn’t reach her eyes. They were brown, but held no warmth... they looked almost soul-less, with one long jagged scar running down one side. To Molly’s horror, she pulled Caleb up and held a sharp dagger to his pale neck. 

“Astrid” hissed Beau 

“WHAT did you DO” Molly yelled 

“I made his last moments exactly what he would have wanted” she rolled her eyes “but honestly, I’m disappointed in you Bren... slumming here with devil spawn and half-breeds?” she spat on the floor “disgusting” 

And she pulled the knife across his throat. 

At the same moment, Beau rushed forward, swinging her staff. She missed the first blow, but landed the second across Astrid's face, sending her careening backwards into the sliding glass door and making the knifes path shorter than it should have been. Beau and Molly chased her forward, but she threw open the door and jumped backwards. Beau jumped up onto the railing, and they watched cursing as Astrid landed next to a tall figure in an arcane circle. The last evidence that she had been there at all a wild laugh faded that into the night. 

“Fucking teleported” 

Molly growled; he hadn’t felt this kind of rage in a _long_ time. 

“Guys? Guys you better come in here” called Jesters frightened voice 

All at once, Molly's rage was replaced by cold fear, he whipped around, sword dropping to the living room floor as he ran back over. Jester had managed to catch Caleb and set him back on the couch. He dropped to his knees in front of the couch and felt like he was going to be sick. Caleb’s eyes were still half open, still foggy and distant. The gash in his throat was oozing blood in bursts that mimicked a weak heartbeat, it wasn’t deep thanks to Beaus well timed intervention, but combined with the long tear in Caleb's shirt... The couch was dark around him; he had been steadily bleeding out for far too long. He was so gods-damned pale. 

“Oh, oh fuck” 

Jester was digging in her pockets trying to find her holy symbol. Beau ran to the kitchen and came back with a damp cloth, she rubbed it against Caleb’s lips. The blue tint faded, and Beau sniffed the rag, making a face 

“Fucking poison. The bitch fucking _poisoned_ him” 

Molly took Caleb's hand, trying not to cry when the wizard didn’t squeeze back. 

“I’m going to call Cad, I think I got the stuff on his mouth but knowing what we do... she probably poisoned whatever she stabbed him with too” 

Jester had found her symbol by now, she stood with her hands pressed to Caleb’s chest as a bright green and pink glow emitted from them. Molly watch as the skin seemed to knit itself back together, his eyes snapping back to Caleb’s face as he groaned at the sensation. Molly saw Jester slump forward as Caleb’s breathing started to even out. 

“Jessie...” he whispered, his voice sounded hoarse even to himself “grab me some scissors from the kitchen... and a few more cloths” 

She got up and was back with them in a moment, looking determined. Molly stood, carefully cutting away Caleb's shirt and wincing at the sheer amount of blood. He realized then with a moan that there was another gash down his other side. The blood had soaked into the couch, turning the dark grey material black all around Caleb. Molly took a deep breath and started wiping away the blood from Caleb’s skin as gently as he could. 

Jester was crying silently as she took up one of the cloths and started to help. By the time Beau got off the phone and got back, they had cleaned off his chest and neck. Molly couldn’t help but stare at all the scars peppering Calebs skin... now he would have three more. 

“We need to get him to bed” her voice was as rough as Molly’s had been “Cad is coming over with some antidotes, he doesn’t have any healing spells left today but these will... They'll help with the poison” 

Molly nodded, standing. He hooked one arm around Caleb’s back and the other under his knees and lifted as gently as he possibly could. He winced as Caleb's eyes pressed closed and he let out another groan of pain. 

“Carefully Molly” Jester whimpered “I wasn’t able to completely fix everything... I shouldn’t have wasted all those spells earlier” 

Beau rubbed her friends back gently “it’s okay Jessie, if it weren’t for you...” she couldn’t seem to finish the statement. 

Jester and Beau went ahead, opening the door to Caleb's room all the way and jumping as Frumpkin darted out from under the bed, yowling in distress. Jester scooped up the poor fae cat and started shushing him as Beau went in, turned on the bedside lamp, and pulled down the covers. Molly laid him down, pausing to tuck some of his loose hair behind Caleb’s ears. 

He couldn’t stop staring, Caleb looked so pale... even more pale than usual. The bruising around the freshly healed wounds stood out horribly, as did the circles under his eyes. Molly had stopped fighting the tears back the moment they had gotten to the couch. He didn’t care if the others saw. 

“I’m going to call Veth and Fjord” said Jester quietly, as Molly sat down on the edge of the bed next to Caleb. 

“I’m gonna call Yasha, once Caduceus and the others get here, we’ll go search the area” she paused, sighing “I doubt we’ll find anything... but I need to look” 

Molly nodded, putting his hand over Caleb’s on the mattress and curling his fingers around it... still no returned squeeze. He watched the wizard's chest rise and fall rhythmically, trying to focus on the steadiness of his breathing. 

\---- 

Molly didn’t know how long had passed before he felt Caduceus’s warm furry hand on his shoulder. He had finally stopped crying at some point, but he couldn’t really remember it. 

“Why don’t you go grab some water and get changed Molly? I’ll give him his antidote and sit with him” 

Molly shook his head, he couldn’t leave... look what happened when he left last time. 

The hand squeezed his shoulder gently “c’mon now, think how upset Caleb would be if he knew you weren’t looking after yourself” 

Oh. That was a low blow... but it worked. Molly stood, watching just long enough to see Cad slowly dripping an antidote of some kind into Caleb’s mouth, before walking to his own room. He grabbed the first soft clothes he could find, throwing them on. Jester came in, and he pointed to the top drawer where the pajama’s where. If they were staying over, they may as well be comfortable. He knew no one would want to leave tonight. 

He started methodically removing his makeup and the jewelry on his horns, it was something automatic that he could do without much thought. He hissed as one of the chains for his horn jewelry tangled for the _third gods-damned time,_ seriously considering just ripping it off. 

He felt soft hands take his, moving them gently back to the desk, before Jester started to remove the chains and baubles. 

“He’s going to be okay” she whispered in infernal into the silence of the room 

“I knew I should have stayed” he whispered back 

She placed the last charm, the little golden sun that Caleb liked, on the vanity and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. 

“He wanted you to go, wanted _us_ to go” he felt a light kiss on the back of his head “he didn’t want to feel like a burden” 

She pulled back as he turned around, and judging by the look on her face, he knew he must look pathetic. 

“He could _never_ be a burden Jessie... not to me” he heard his voice crack, making the infernal sound even rougher. 

“Oh Molly” she pulled him up and into a nearly bone-crushing hug. 

He stayed there, crying silently into her shoulder until he heard a soft cough from the door. 

They both looked over to see Fjord looking sheepish “it’s Caleb... he’s uh, he’s stirrin’ a bit” 

Molly was out of the room in a flash, followed closely by Jester and Fjord. Cad stood up and gave Molly back the spot on the mattress, standing back to whisper something to Jester. Molly took Caleb’s hand again, watching his face. There was a little more colour in his cheeks, so it looked like the antidote had helped some. Fjord had been right; Caleb’s brow was furrowed, and he seemed to be stirring now 

“Caleb?” he whispered, exhaling gratefully as the other man's face seemed to relax at the sound of his voice “can you hear me love?” 

Caleb’s eyes opened slowly, blue appearing like the sun rising from behind the long ginger lashes. It took him a moment to focus on Molly, but when he did a small smile spread across his face 

“-lo Mollymauk” his voice was rough, and he frowned as he took in Molly’s expression. He reached up his free hand to cup Molly’s cheek “wha’s this face for _shatz_?” 

Molly leaned into the touch; his own voice sounded strangled around the lump in his throat “what do you remember from today Caleb?” 

That seemed to confuse him more, the furrowed brow was back “I-I don’t...” comprehension seemed to dawn on him and even with the blood loss he still managed to blush pink “that... that wasn’t you” a frown joined the furrowed brow “she... charmed me” 

Molly nodded his head sadly, and Caleb’s hand dropped back to his own chest. 

“Ow?” he looked even more confused as the pain registered. Molly didn’t think he could talk anymore around the lump in his throat. 

Lucky for him, Beau came up to the side of the bed. 

“It was Astrid, Caleb, she waited until we left you alone and snuck in over the balcony. Veth saw someone she thought was Molly acting weird and texted me” Beau took a breath to steady herself “we got back here just in time... you almost... you nearly” she gulped, but Caleb shook his head. 

“I can figure that last bit out” he sighed “I am an idiot” 

There was a chorus of noes from the group, but Caleb just shook his head again 

“I knew the balcony was a weak spot... I should have blocked it off better or... or found a way to ward it” he took a deep breath as though talking was difficult. Jester noticed it too. 

“You need to go back to sleep, we couldn’t heal you all the way and you bled a _lot_... like a LOT” she paused, sheepish “you’re probably going to need a new couch” 

There was silence for a moment, before Cad said softly “I’m going to make you some tea Caleb, to help you sleep” and walked out to the kitchen. 

Fjord walked over, reaching past Beau to put a hand lightly on Caleb's shoulder 

“We’re all staying tonight; we’ll be just out there” he jerked a thumb over his shoulder “so rest easy okay?” 

After a few very silent minutes, Cad brought in the tea. Molly and Beau helped prop Caleb up against some pillows so he could drink it. Once he was done, Cad took the cup back out and it was just Beau, Molly and Caleb. They helped lay Caleb back down, Beau tucking him in lightly. Molly was trying his best not to start crying again, Caleb had enough to deal with. 

“Beau?” Caleb’s voice was a soft, sleepy whisper 

“Yeah man?” 

“Do you think the others would sleep in here?” 

Beau looked surprised for a moment, then she smiled softly “sure man, we’ll be in in a few” 

“Don’t go looking for her” he mumbled “you won’t find her” 

With that, the blue eyes finally drooped closed again, and his breathing deepened. 

Molly let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and felt Beaus hand on his shoulder. He looked up, curious. Her expression was a mix of fondness and worry. 

“It’s not your fault Mols, I know what you’re thinking” 

“She used _my_ face Beau, not anyone else's, mine” Beau shrugged, and he glared at her “ _and_ I agreed to leave tonight, I could have just put my foot down and stayed but I didn’t” 

“I mean it, it’s not your fault” he just glared up at her “she just knew that you were the one he would let get the closest. She was clearly watching us for a while. I’m willing to bet that if we _hadn’t_ left him alone, she would have just found a way to lure him out” She sighed “and besides, you of all people know how _stubborn_ Caleb can be... if he wanted time to himself, he would have stopped at nothing to get it” 

He let that thought roll around for a moment, unable to think of a response. She patted his shoulder reassuringly. 

“Yasha and I are going to look around, I know what he said but I’ve gotta do it anyway. I’ll send the others in with the blanket nest supplies” 

\---- 

They all settled in, most of the group wearing borrowed pj’s, with the blanket nest set up around the edge of the bed. Veth had climbed onto the mattress with Frumpkin and the two of them were curled up against Caleb’s side. Molly had laid down right along the side of the bed, where he could easily hear Caleb breathing softly in his sleep. Fjord had set himself up next to the door, intent to keep watch until Beau and Yasha got back. Jester and Cad had set themselves up with little piles of blankets, leaving spaces for the people who weren’t there yet. 

It had taken them all a while, but sleep did eventually take them, the last thing Molly was conscious of was the sound of Caleb mumbling softly in his sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyyyy so... remember when I said to take the Fluff and hold it in your hearts? This is why, this and... maybe 1-2 more chapters after this (though there's a little fluff in those). Also to my lovely conspiracy theorists: Ta-dah! Molly was himself in all previous chapters, this is the first time Astrid took the form of one of the Nein <3
> 
> Spell notes:  
> Disquise Self + Charm Person.  
> I know the buzz in his mind doesn’t make it super obvious that she’s using a spell, but that was my intention with that. 
> 
> Timeline Check In!  
> This chapter is the 10th, and references the week of the 5th-10th


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pining! Planning! Essek! Sad Bois!

Part One 

Caleb 

"So what's the plan?" Asked Beau, cradling her mug and looking wiped out. She and Yasha had spent several hours the night before searching the area around the apartment for signs of Astrid. They hadn't found anything, as Caleb had said they wouldn't. They had then gone to the effort of dumping the ruined couch by the apartments huge dumpsters, and bringing the slightly larger couch from Beauregard and Jesters apartment down. 

"Schools almost over for the winter holiday, I say we get out of town for at least a few weeks, lay low somewhere quiet" said Fjord simply, "we know that they know where Caleb lives right? So let's not... be there…" he trailed off, looking around at the others. Beau looked thoughtful, Veth looked nervous but Jester was nodding enthusiastically 

"Yes! We could go up north, find like a little like _cabin_ out the middle of _nowhere_ and we could like, stay there!!" She was practically bouncing in her seat "they would never _ever_ think to look somewhere like that, and since they can't scry on Cayyyyleb anyway, we could just ward the heck out of the place!" 

They all paused, thinking it over, Beau and Fjord exchanged considering looks. 

"Caleb, is there a way to protect a whole building from being scryed on? Or do you know the spells to make all of us necklaces like yours?" Fjord asked, looking over at Caleb. Caleb jumped slightly, still out of it from his rough night and previously awful day. He looked briefly at Fjord before returning his gaze to the black coffee in front of him. 

"Ah...well, _ja_ there are wards that could stop them from spying on a building, but once we leave the zone of the ward we would be um… well visible again" he paused, taking a small sip of the coffee before continuing "as to the necklaces… I am...uh… afraid I do not know the enchantment necessary" he flushed slightly "I could probably figure it out but I would need time and materials and... And such…" he continued sipping his coffee, thinking it over. There were probably books in the school library that would have information, but there was no way the others would let him go there now. Not after what had happened. 

He shivered, yesterday had been terrible. Well, not all of it, he supposed. The day had started normally enough... but then the attack and... 

There was no way that Mollymauk hadn’t seen what Astrid had done, had seen what _he_ had done. Thinking of it made him want to cry, he had ruined it, there was no way to deny it. He and Mollymauk had such a good thing going, living together had been too good to be true. Of course he had _wanted_ to kiss Mollymauk, who didn’t? But he hadn’t been about to act on it, he valued their friendship too much to push his pathetic little crush on the gorgeous Tiefling. 

He felt eyes on him again, and looked up to see Beauregard looking at him with a concerned look on her face. The others were still talking about where to look for a place to hide, and she walked over to sit next to him. 

“Do you think the library might have some books that could help with the anti-scrying charms?” 

He stared at her for a minute, and she tilted her head subtly towards his bedroom door. 

Oh, that’s what it was 

“Uh... _ja_ possibly. We could check the online database... my laptop is in my room” 

She nodded, standing, and held out her hand to him. He took it, and once he was upright she walked towards his room. Caleb could feel Mollymauks eyes on him as he followed Beauregard... but he couldn’t bring himself to look back. 

As soon as they got into the room, Beauregard closed the door and turned to stare at him, arms crossed. 

“Talk” 

“I-I don’t-” 

“Don’t give me that, you nearly _died_ yesterday, and for some reason your response is to look like someone kicked your cat whenever you look at Molly” she sighed “that seems like the wrong part of this mess to be focusing on, but that’s just me” 

Caleb sat on the edge of his bed, looking down at his hands in his lap and sighed 

“I am... I find myself...” he paused, trying to work out the words “I am very nervous about what Astrid's outright attack means for everyone. I want to begin working on the anti-scrying charms as soon as possible, and I think Jesters suggestion of getting out of the city has merit” 

“And what does that have to do with you making sad puppy faces whenever Molly looks at you?” 

“I... fear I have ruined our friendship” 

There was silence for a minute before Beauregard dropped onto the bed next to him 

“You _what_?” 

Caleb turned to glare at her “you cannot tell me that he didn’t see what was happening before you all arrived” he deadpanned. 

She looked sheepish “well... no, he did... it was hard to miss dude” she sighed “as a side-note, I never _ever_ want to see you doing that shit again” 

He offered her a self-depreciating smirk “considering everything, I highly doubt that will be a problem” 

“Why do you think you... ruined it or whatever?” 

“I have been _trying_ for... far longer than I would like to admit to ignore and at least _mostly_ hide my... hide that _ich bin_ _verknallt_ _..._ affection? Infatuation?” he sighed, he was too tired to translate right now “whatever term, I think it will be hard to hide now” 

She stared at him for a moment and then put an arm around his shoulder bracingly 

“It doesn’t _have_ to ruin things you know” he scoffed in response but she just shook him lightly, which made him groan as pain shot through his ribs. 

“Shit sorry... but listen, what I mean is... how do you know he doesn’t feel the same?” 

He pulled away now so he could look her in the eye, she needed to see the full effect of his scorn. 

She rolled her eyes in response, holding up her hands in an ‘I surrender’ pose. 

“Okay fine, don’t listen to me. But even if he doesn’t, which I don’t see why he wouldn’t” she put a finger to her lips to stop him interrupting, he frowned “it won’t ruin your friendship. Molly thinks the whole world is in love with him, remember?” 

Caleb just sighed, stood and picked up his laptop “maybe, I hope you’re right” he looked back over at her, allowing himself a moment to show his sadness “I do not want to lose him Beauregard” 

Her expression softened and she stood, taking the laptop from him. 

“If he’s a dick about it, I’ll kick his ass, promise” 

He laughed, and they rejoined the others. 

\---- 

Three hours later, they had a list of books for Beauregard to pick up, and were working on securing a rental about two hours north of Shadycreek Run. The whole drive would take them about 16hrs total, depending on how fast Yasha wanted to drive. 

“So we can either do two days and pull over somewhere to sleep between, or we can push through the whole way and just drive in shifts” Yasha said looking around at the others. 

“Do enough of us have a driver's license to make that work?” asked Veth 

They all paused, looking at one another. This had... never been a problem before. 

“Well...” said Fjord “I have mine, it’s been a few months but I’m sure I can work it out” 

Beauregard shrugged “I _technically_ have mine, but I’ve never driven anything as big as the Stormcloud” 

They looked at Caleb, Mollymauk and Jester now 

Mollymauk just laughed “Ummm no, absolutely not” 

Jester was smirking, her tail swaying “I _technically_ don’t have one, and I’ve never tried before... but I definitely could do it probably” 

Caleb looked down “I uh... haven’t really had the time between the cult activity, the asylum, and the homelessness” he deadpanned. 

Veth just shrugged as if Caleb hadn’t just said what he did “the modifications for halflings are way too expensive” 

Yasha sighed “well, between three of us we could probably push through” 

There was a murmur of agreement around the room. Caleb released some of the tension from his shoulders. 

“So do I book the cabin for tomorrow or the next day?” Jester asked, looking around at the others 

Caleb felt his neck click as he whipped around to look at her 

“Wait what? No, exams go until the 17th" 

There was silence as they all turned to stare at him, expressions ranging from curiosity (Caduceus) to outright horror (Beauregard). 

“Are you _seriously_ more concerned with finishing exams than with the psycho’s trying to _kill you”_ Beauregard's expression was livid. Caleb glared back 

“I am not _more_ concerned with exams then my potential _death_ no” (he ignored the way she and Molly both flinched at the word) “but I have worked hard to get to where I am, and I will not allow them to ruin it for me” 

He knew she wouldn’t understand, but he couldn’t lose the university. They glared at each other until Fjord coughed a small “ahem” and they both turned to look at him instead 

“So... clearly this is important to you, I think the rest of us should be trying not to miss our exams either...” Beauregard huffed in annoyance “so, lets focus on setting up extra protection, and then we leave the second the exams are done. Deal?” 

He looked around the room and they all nodded slowly, Beauregard mumbling about how stupid it was, but agreeing. 

It took another two hours of arguing, but they ultimately decided to hole up at Caleb and Molly’s, the logic being that “The Fuckers” would expect them to move Caleb. Instead, they were re-upping and adding to all the wards. It was just a matter of finding ways to strengthen them now. 

“I... I could call Essek?” Caleb offered, looking pointedly into his mug 

“oh yeah! He’s like _super duper_ smart and stuff right?” Jester said enthusiastically, looking back at Caleb. He nodded, actively looking _away_ from Mollymauk . He still wasn’t sure what the issue was between the Tiefling and the drow , but there was _something_ there. 

Beauregard nodded once, sharply “do it, see if he can help” 

Caleb pulled out his phone, trying to ignore the headache he could feel brewing. Caduceus and Jester had both healed him again that morning, but the blood loss was still rough. 

The phone rang once before there was a click and Esseks voice was in his ear 

“Essek Thelyss speaking” 

“Ah yes, hallo Essek, it’s Caleb... Caleb Widogast” 

“Hello Caleb, good to hear from you, I hope your day is going well” 

Caleb smiled “Yes, and you... I will not take up too much of your time” 

“It’s no trouble, I am happy to hear from you” 

“That is good to hear, I was calling in hopes you might have time to help me out with something” 

“That will depend on what it is?” 

Caleb nodded, forgetting briefly that he was on the phone 

“Ah, yes of course, I know you are very busy... I was hoping you could help with a warding issue” 

There was a pause, and then the smooth voice came through again 

“A... warding issue?” 

“Yes, mine don’t seem to be as strong as I thought... and it turns out I need some help making them stronger” 

“Are you in danger?” 

The concern in his voice made Caleb blush, he hadn’t realized the other man cared that much 

“Well... to be honest, yes” he paused “but... I cannot justify leaving my apartment until exams are done, hence the necessary ward upgrade” 

Essek hummed thoughtfully and after a quick pause said “of course, that makes perfect sense” 

Caleb sighed happily, he knew Essek would understand his desire to get through exams 

“I will be there tomorrow morning, around 9 if that works for you?” 

“That would be wonderful, thank you very much _mein_ _freund_ _”_

“It’s no trouble, I will see you tomorrow” 

Caleb hung up, jumping slightly as he realized that everyone was staring at him. 

“So, he said yes?” Beauregard asked simply, Caleb nodded 

“He will be here tomorrow around 9am” 

“Okay, good” 

Fjord stood then, stretching “well, we’re going to need some groceries and such” he looked around at them all “who all wants to come with?” 

Veth stood “I’ll need to stop at home and talk to Yeza, and grab some clothes” 

Yasha, Jester and Caduceus all stood as well. 

“I can drive” Yasha said in her usual quiet voice “and I’m pretty sure I have a blowup mattress I can bring along too” 

Caleb stared around, completely confused “what do you mean? Clothes?” 

Veth stared at him like he was crazy for a minute before sitting down in front of him, her expression fond 

“We’re staying Caleb, all of us” he opened his mouth to argue but she shook her head “if you insist on staying here until exams, we’re going to stay with you” she took his hand and smiled that warm, maternal smile that always twisted his gut just a little. 

“We’ll stay here until exams are over, and then we all run. Together.” 

He felt tears prickle at the back of his eyes 

“But... your work” 

“I’m owed a vacation anyway” 

“The bar...” 

Yasha laughed “Gus will understand” 

His eyes flicked to Mollymauk... unable to hold the red gaze as he said “Your shows...” 

The Tiefling hmph-ed “last time I left you to go sing, you nearly died on me” Caleb's cheeks burned and he stared aggressively at the floor “I’ll sing on stage again once you’re safe” 

Caleb fought back the tears that threatened, these people... his family, his wonderful (crazy) family, were going to turn their lives upside down. For _him_. 

“I...am so sorry” he choked out, unable to look up. 

He felt a light swat to the back of his head and heard Beauregard scoff 

“Shut up man, nothing to apologize for. Jessie and I will be back, we’re gonna grab some clothes” 

Veth squeezed his hands, placing a soft kiss on the top of his head as they all filed out. Suddenly, the apartment felt very big and _very_ empty. 

Caleb knew Mollymauk was there, and a large part of him wanted to look up... wanted to find those warm eyes and seek the comfort he knew would be there. 

The rest of him was terrified. How could he face Mollymauk after what happened with Astrid? The other man would _know_ that he had been taking advantage, prompting the acts of affection with an ulterior motive... He would know that Caleb was a horrible, selfish person. 

But Gods... Caleb just wanted to wrap himself up in those warm lavender arms... his skin itched with it, the need for warmth and pressure and... safety. 

He looked up. 

There was Mollymauk, brow furrowed and a concerned frown on his usually joyful face. His tail was flicking in the worried way Frumpkin’s did when Caleb had panic attacks. Caleb wanted to cry again. 

Mollymauk opened his mouth to say something, and Caleb jumped up 

“I’m... I’m going to take a shower while everyone is out” Gods he was a coward. 

There was a flash of hurt in the ruby eyes, before his shoulders and tail drooped sadly 

“Yeah... okay, good idea” he paused “I’ll... be in my room if you’re done before they get back” 

Caleb nodded, grabbed a towel and clean pj’s from his room, and dashed into the bathroom. 

One thing he had always loved about showers, no one could hear you cry. 

Part Two 

Molly 

Molly sat in the living room for another 10 minutes after the water started running. He didn’t know what to do. Less than 24 hours ago he had come home to his... to the person he... what? Liked? Had a crush on? Was... falling in love with (and that was a scary thought on its own)? Bleeding out on their living room couch. He could still feel the spike of fear, the horror, of it hours later. 

And now Caleb wouldn’t even _look_ at him. Molly could so clearly picture the way those blue eyes had warmed when the poor half-dead man had woken so briefly. The soft comfort, the way they seemed to glow in the semi-darkness of the room... Molly felt like his heart was breaking. 

What if Caleb was freaked out about what had happened with Astrid? Was he so horrified by the idea of kissing Molly that now he couldn’t even look at him? 

Molly bit his lip, scratching behind Frumpkins ears in an attempt to control his tears. He had thought... he had been _sure_ there was something growing between himself and Caleb, absolutely sure. 

Maybe he had been wrong? Maybe it had all been wishful thinking.... 

He pulled out his cellphone, intent on texting Yasha 

**Molly** : Yash 😭💔 

**Yasha** 🖤: Whats up Mols? 

**Molly** : I think Caleb hates me now 😭 

**Yasha** 🖤: Why would u think that?? 

**Molly:** u saw him 2day!! He wont even look at me now 

**Yasha** 🖤: Where is he now? did he say something?? 

**Molly** : hes showering... & no! He wont say n e thing 2 me!! 

**Molly** : Im so fucking 💔 Yash 

**Yasha** 🖤: We’ll talk when i get back, won’t be long 💜 

Molly sighed, and unable to stop himself, opened the photo from their tree-shopping day. They looked so _happy_... he could remember the soft lilt of Caleb’s voice right before the human had kissed his knuckles. The way he had smiled so sweetly when Molly had freaked out about him walking away... 

Gods he was going to cry. 

Molly got up, walked to his room, grabbed his earbuds and put one in (making sure he could hear the apartment clearly) and put on the saddest music he could find. If he was going to feel this miserable, he might as well have a soundtrack. 

\----- 

It only took the others about an hour and a half to do groceries and grab their stuff. By then, Molly had composed himself to the point that he didn’t feel like he was going to burst into tears. Caleb had finished his shower and gone directly to his own room. Molly hadn’t heard the door close, so he assumed it was at least partially open for Frumpkin. 

Molly sat up as the door to the apartment opened, tensing briefly until he heard the tell-tale sounds of his friends removing outside layers. Fjord and Veth were bickering about something, Jester telling them to knock it off and help unpack groceries. He heard the soft rumble of Yasha’s voice and looked towards the door. She walked in, closing the door quietly behind herself before coming to sit on the bed with him. Her mismatched eyes met his, and he could already feel the tears stinging again. 

It must have shown on his face, because she scooted up the bed, leaning against the headboard and pulling him in for a cuddle. She ran her hands slowly through his hair 

“Tell me” 

He sniffed, and launched into an explanation of all his fears. Of his worry that Caleb had never _actually_ liked him the same way, and that now even a chance of friendship was ruined. He ended on how desperately he had wanted to wrap the human up that afternoon, watching the stress and fear in those blue eyes... how not being able to had made him feel like his heart was breaking. 

“I just... I wish I had never seen what I did” he sniffled “then... then maybe everything could be normal again, maybe he’d _look_ at me again” 

Yasha sighed, pressing a kiss to the top of his head 

“Oh Molly...” she paused, clearly trying to decide what she wanted to say “what if... well, what if he’s feeling the same way?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Just... well, what if he’s feeling the same way?” 

Molly caught her eye, confusion clear on his face, she sighed again 

“What if _he_ thinks _you’re_ upset by what you saw? Caleb is... well he's a pretty private person right?” Molly nodded slowly “so... what if he’s just embarrassed because so many people saw him in a...” she had to pause again “ _compromising_ position?” 

That... that actually did make a lot of sense... hells, the man blushed like a Xhorhasian belle when Molly so much as held his hand... 

“So... what should I do Yash?” 

She shrugged “give him time, he’ll talk when he’s ready” she smiled at him “and just keep being yourself, I bet if you act like everything is fine, he’ll calm down” 

Molly thought about that for a moment before nodding. That made sense, if he could _show_ Caleb that everything was okay, maybe his favourite wizard would come around. 

There was a sharp knock on the door, and Beaus voice called out 

“Lunch! Hurry up cause we’re not saving you any” 

\---- 

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. Molly tried to give Caleb space, while also making sure to act like the weird tension wasn’t there. He didn’t know how well he was really doing, but Caleb at least made eye contact a few times without looking like a puppy left in the rain. 

Gods those eyes could look so damned sad. 

When the evening rolled around they split off into their various rooms. Yasha slept in Molly's room, Veth in Caleb's. Fjord took the couch while Caduceus, Jester and Beau slept on the _giant_ air mattress. They had to move the coffee table up against the bookshelves but no one minded really. 

Molly sighed as he lay in bed, it was warm and comfortable, and his best friend was with him but something still felt... off. 

“What’s wrong Mols?” Yasha whispered from beside him, he rolled over to face her with another sigh 

“I think... I think it’s just that this is the first time we’ve all slept in separate rooms” 

She nodded, her hair puffing up where it was pressed to the pillow 

“I just... miss everyone?” he frowned “that sounds dumb, they’re right out there. It just feels weird for all of us not to be squished up on the floor or one big mattress or something...” 

Yasha rubbed his arm gently, looking thoughtful “I’m sure they’d do a cuddle pile if you asked Mols” 

Molly shook his head, blushing slightly “nah I don't... I don’t want to push it on people, it should happen naturally” 

She smiled indulgently, tugging him in for a hug. Eventually, they both drifted off to the sounds of their friends quiet conversation in the next room. 

\---- 

**Da’leysen**

Molly was woken by the sound of a knock on the front door. His sleepy brain was completely confused. No one in the Mighty Nein bothered to _knock_... why would they? He grumbled into his pillow as voices picked up outside his room, he wished he had shut his door. He had dealt with nightmares of blood and too-pale faces all night, and only properly fallen asleep what felt like an hour ago. 

He sat up, looking to the other side of the messy bed. Yasha must already be up, since that side was empty now. He stretched, groaning and got out of bed. He was sure he could smell coffee, which meant normal brain function could resume. He peeked at himself in the mirror, he had missed some eyeliner last night, but the smudged look was cute so he left it. He pulled the ornate dressing gown on, tying it loosely around his waist and padded out into the main room. 

“Good morning beautiful people” he yawned as he headed towards the kitchen, where Yasha and Beau were standing. Beau looked extra grumpy this morning, he raised an eyebrow at her as he grabbed the chilled coffee that had been left for him in the fridge (maybe everything with Caleb wasn’t _completely_ ruined) 

“What’s got your knickers in a twist Unpleasant One?” 

She jerked her head in the direction of the living room, a scowl playing across her face. 

He looked over and felt himself frown too. Standing in the living room, dressed far too well for 9am on a Da’leysen morning, was Essek Thelyss. 

And worse, standing next to him in the grey joggers and black tshirt Molly loved was Caleb. The human was listening to whatever Thelyss was saying with rapt attention, nodding along. Molly huffed and turned back towards Beau and Yasha 

“Remember, he’s here to _help”_ Yasha cautioned softly she looked from Molly to Beau “ _both_ of you” 

They both grumbled. 

“There’s something weird about him” Beau hissed, eying the drow “he’s hiding something” 

Yasha sighed “literally everyone in this room is hiding something Beau” 

Beau hmph-ed again, going back to her coffee. 

Caduceus walked over, smiling as he looked Molly over with one of his too-perceptive stares. 

“Sleep well Molly?” 

Molly sighed and shook his head before replying “nightmares” 

Cad hummed in response, nodding slowly “well, I brought plenty of the dreamless sleep tea, I’m sure Caleb wouldn’t begrudge you a few cups to help with those” 

Molly opened his mouth to say that wouldn’t be necessary, but before he could speak Calebs soft voice came from the behind him. 

“Are you having nightmares Mollymauk?” 

He turned to see that the two wizards had moved from the living room to the front door while he had been talking to the others. Caleb's face was concerned, blue eyes focused in on Molly’s face and head tilted slightly. He couldn’t help but smile warmly as he responded 

“Only a few darling, don’t worry” 

Caleb’s voice turned stern “a few is still too many, you should take Caduceus up on the tea, you don’t deserve to suffer needlessly” the human seemed to realize what he was saying and looked away, turning back to his previous conversation with Thelyss. 

Molly sighed and turned back to the others, smiling slightly at Cad “I’ll have to get you to show me how to make it tonight, if you don’t mind?” 

The firbolg nodded, smiling serenely “sure thing, it’s real easy” 

Even when Caleb could barely look him in the eye, Molly _still_ couldn’t deny the man anything. Besides... he was just trying to keep Molly from having nightmares, the concern was sweet. 

So... he’d drink the weird tea. 

Molly and the others all curled up on the couch while Caleb and Thelyss walked the apartment, the drow talked most, asking questions by the sound of it. Caleb answered quickly and succinctly, and about two hours later, they had done whatever they were doing. Molly had watched curiously while they added to the wards around the apartment. He loved watching Caleb do magic, it lit up those blue eyes and made the man look nearly fae. 

The feeling of Thelyss’s magic was different to Caleb’s... where the humans felt warm and staticky, like the air before a thunderstrike, the drows felt... sharp. Cold somehow, like cracking ice. 

Molly didn’t like it. 

But, if it would keep Caleb and everyone else safe until they skipped town... he would handle it. 

Once the wizards were done, they joined the rest of the Nein in the living room. Caleb dropped down onto the couch looking tired, his face was pale again. Molly resisted the urge to growl at Thelyss for working the human so hard, he was still recovering! 

“So...” the drow looked around at them “may I ask what prompted the need for this amount of high level warding?” 

Molly scoffed “you didn’t already?” 

Thelyss turned silver eyes to him, cold and derisive “no, I was told it was a matter of some urgency, and felt it prudent to get the work done before asking questions” he turned back to Caleb, curiosity replacing derision. Molly didn't like the way the drows expression softened when he looked at Caleb. 

Caleb sighed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, his voice was tired when he spoke 

“There are some... people in my past who would like to take revenge on myself and, very likely, those I care about” 

“Have they already attempted something?” 

Caleb nodded “yes ah...” he seemed to think for a moment, Molly frowned “two days ago? No, the day before yesterday, so two nights ago” He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his eyes. 

Molly felt his chest tighten, the poor man looked so worn out. All the Tiefling wanted to do was move over and wrap him up nice and tight. 

Thelyss hummed in response “have you gone to the authorities as of yet?” 

Caleb shook his head “I emailed my student advisor and my therapist, as they are aware of the situation, but I haven’t yet had a chance to go to the police” 

“Not like they’ll be of any use” Beau growled “those morons weren’t able stop them coming back, what the hell are they going to do now that the threat is already here” 

The drow turned to her now, an eyebrow raised “the authorities were already aware of this threat?” 

Caleb answered, though it sounded like every word was a battle now “mhm, I testified against them nearly ten years ago, they’re supposed to be on watchlists and such...” he took a breath “but with magic, and the ability to disguise themselves... it hasn’t done much good” 

Molly couldn’t take it anymore, the exhaustion in Caleb’s voice was painful to hear. He stood up, walking over and taking Caleb’s hand gently. He tried not to flinch when Caleb jumped at the contact 

“You should go back to bed for a bit darling, you look absolutely beat” 

Caleb looked like he was going to argue, but he met Molly’s eye for a moment before nodding with a sigh 

“Perhaps I am rather... drained” he looked to Thelyss now “I apologize my friend, it seems the attempt on my life has made high level magics more tiring than they should be” 

The expression on the drows face softened slightly as he nodded “of course, no apology necessary. I am just glad I could assist” 

“I appreciate it, truly” 

Thelyss nodded again, reaching out to lay his hand on Calebs shoulder lightly 

“Take care of yourself, and feel free to let me know if there’s anything else I can help with” 

“Thank you again” Caleb nodded, Thelyss picked up his bag and coat and headed out. 

Molly stood, giving Caleb’s hand a gentle tug. The human sighed and stood up, Veth walking over to take the hand Molly had been holding. She led Caleb back to his room, speaking quietly the whole way. 

Molly watched them go, the tightness in his chest was back and he felt like it wouldn’t go away for a while this time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry!!! 
> 
> I swear there is fluff coming soon!! It'll be worth it!  
> *hides*
> 
> This one wasn't nearly as bad as the last one right????


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pining! Planning! Singing! Riding In Unsafe Vehicles!
> 
> Important Note at the end!

Part One

Caleb

Exam weeks were always stressful, Caleb could remember his winter exams the year before... they had been the first set of exams he had done at the university. He had driven Veth crazy with his stressing, had constantly read and re-read all his notes and hadn’t slept  _ nearly _ enough. The end of year exams had been better, he wasn’t quite as horribly stressed out. Though he still hadn’t slept enough. 

This year was worse. 

Not only was he dealing with stress over the exams themselves, he also had the added stress of his “babysitters” (or “ bodyguards as Jester called them)  sticking to him like glue the moment he left the apartment. They couldn’t sit in on the exams the way they had sat in on the classes, but they could wait outside the doors and glare at anyone who got within a foot of him. 

Miresen afternoon, right after his first exam, he and his bodyguard for the day (Beau) hopped on the bus to the police station. His skin felt like it was buzzing, police stations (much like hospitals) all seemed to smell the same. It brought back horrible images of a younger version of himself... broken, bleeding and exhausted, trying  _ desperately  _ to get someone to believe him after running from Trent. Beau seemed to sense his undercurrent of panic, because she bumped her shoulder lightly against his as they waited

“Hey, it’s okay man. This isn’t like last time, they already know about Icky and his little minions” 

He tried to smile at her, “Icky” had been something Jester had started when she realized how uncomfortable Trents name was for him to say. The rest of the Nein had taken it up with fervor. 

“I know they do... I just” he half shrugged, eyes darting around “this place just brings back a lot” 

She nodded, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. They sat like that for another 20 minutes before an officer walked over. They both stood when the officer held out a hand, they shook it. 

“ Crownsguard officer Flynn” the man said, he didn’t look more than a few years older than they were.

“Caleb Widogast”

“Expositor Beauregard Lionett” 

He nodded and led them to a desk over by the window and indicated the seats in front of it. Once they were seated, he opened a file on the desk.

“So, I have here that you were the one to alert the Crownsguard to the existence and illegal actions of one Trent  Ikithon and his followers?” 

Caleb nodded

“And you’ve come in today to report something regarding them?”

Caleb nodded again; his throat felt rough with the nerves that being surrounded by  Crownsguard always brought on. The officer pulled out a note pad and pen, looking up at Caleb expectantly. 

He took a deep breath.

“On the night of  Folsen the 3 rd , Astrid... one of  Ikithons followers, entered my home disguised as a close friend and attempted to kill me” 

The officer looked up sharply and nodded for him to continue. Caleb explained that they had discovered her ability to fully disguise even her voice, and that she had been stalking himself and his friends for months. While he told the story, the officer made notes, nodding and asking for clarification occasionally. Once he was done the officer looked up, face grim

“Her abilities, should we assume that the others are able to do the same thing?”

Caleb nodded “that would be a safe bet... she was always best with disguises, but it’s been 10 years so I can only assume that the others have gotten better” 

Another nod “and do you require police protection at this time Mr.  Widogast ?” 

Caleb looked up in shock, that was unexpected. Beauregard responded when he didn’t seem able to.

“We’re fine right now, we have protection in place and plans for how to avoid the cult”

The officer nodded again, turning the paper around towards them with the pen laying on it.

“If you could read this over, if everything seems  correct, I’ll have you sign it and we’ll send out the report to the other stations”

Ten minutes later, they were standing at the bus stop.

Caleb couldn’t wrap his mind around it, they had just... believed him, just like that. No argument, no skeptical questions... no asylum. He felt nearly giddy with it. 

“That went well eh?” Beauregard said with a smile at him, he nodded, smiling back.

“Now all that’s left is to survive our exams and get the heck  outta dodge” she mused, as the bus pulled up. 

“I suppose we ought to start packing...” he thought for a moment “you have an exam on  Conthsen right?” She nodded, grumbling

“okay, make sure you have everything you need for our trip” she looked at him curiously “I don’t have an exam that day, I’m going to do whatever laundry we need and then I can pack everything up”

“I can pack my own stuff!” 

He raised an eyebrow “stuffing everything haphazardly into a  duffle bag is not packing Beauregard” 

They stepped off the bus, walking towards the apartment

“It totally is, you’re just so damned anal about everything being all  _ neat _ and  _ orderly”  _ He laughed

“Yes, because that way I can actually  _ fit _ everything I need into my bag”

They argued lightheartedly about packing all the way up the two flights of stairs and into the apartment. When they got back into the apartment, the new wards buzzed through Caleb’s skin. They had managed to add a dispel magic field, anyone magically disguised would be shown for who they really were upon walking through either door. If you weren’t disguised it was mostly just mildly uncomfortable. 

“What are you two bickering about now?” Came  Mollymauk’s voice from the living room. He was lounging on the couch in a pair of shiny black leggings and a green  v-neck blouse with a pattern of bells and snowflakes on it. Caleb still had trouble keeping his eyes off the exposed lavender skin of the other man's chest. Even more so now, since eye contact made him squirm. 

“Caleb here thinks he’s better at packing than me” Beauregard said, grabbing a pop from the fridge and flopping down in the armchair, one leg over the armrest. 

“I do not  _ think _ I’m better at it, I  _ know _ I am” Caleb responded, moving to sit in his reading chair. He missed curling up on the couch with  Mollymauk ... but that extra familiarity felt like too much after everything. 

If the  tiefling noticed the shift in seating arrangements, he didn’t say anything. Instead he  laughed as he responded

“Well, I’ve seen the state of your drawers, and if you pack anything like you put away clothes... I would be far more willing to bet on Caleb here”

Beauregard flipped him off 

“Breezing right past why you’ve been going through my  drawers; I doubt you’d miss an opportunity to bet on Caleb for pretty much anything”

Caleb blushed, pulling a book at random off the shelf and opening it as  Mollymauk shot back

“Well, he’s certainly a safer bet than  _ you _ any day Unpleasant One” 

They continued to bicker in the good-natured way Caleb had become accustomed to while he read. 

\----

The rest of the week went much the same way, minus the police visit. Caleb and the rest of the Nein got through their exams  fairly well . And Caleb did end up packing for not only himself, but Beauregard and Jester too. Not that he minded, it gave him something to focus on while  Mollymauk was home all day with him. The temptation to curl up on the couch and watch old movies was only made stronger when the Tiefling wandered out of bed around 10am in his softest looking pajama pants and a way oversized grey  tshirt . As wonderful as  Mollymauk always looked when he was all done up... Caleb had grown rather attached to “housecat Molly” ... all comfort and softness.

He knew the Tiefling could tell something was up, that he was acting oddly... but he couldn’t help it. The fear of the inevitable rejection once they finally talked about what had happened kept bubbling up in Caleb’s chest. By the time  Folsen rolled around, he had spoken maybe a dozen words to  Mollymauk the entire week. He hated it. 

\----

“Why can’t we  _ all _ just go to the show?” Jester argued. 

“The bar isn’t  _ safe”  _ Beauregard sighed again “there aren’t any wards there, no fancy field to force magic disguises to poof!” 

Caleb looked down, he hated to see them argue, it was his fault. He had suggested everyone going together to watch  Mollymauk’s show and say goodbye to Gus... He knew Beauregard was right, but the idea of missing another show was hard. He had figured that if they all went, then he could sit quietly and just enjoy the music... listen to  Mollymauks voice. The Tiefling had stopped singing around the apartment and it was breaking Caleb’s heart. 

He knew that was his fault too. 

It had taken him all week to convince the others to stay in the apartment until after  Winterscrest .  Mollymauk had looked so miserable at the idea of celebrating the holiday away from their wildly decorated home... Caleb couldn’t take it. He had begged Beauregard and Fjord to agree, and after days of persistence (and one very loud fight that left him shaking in the shower for 36 minutes) they had caved. The others agreed easily. 

Caleb had already ruined their friendship; he wasn’t about to ruin  Mollymauks first proper  Winterscrest too. 

Okay, he sighed, pick your battles.

“It’s fine Jester, really” both women turned to look at him “I would love to watch the show, and say goodbye to Gustav... but Beauregard is right, I should stay behind” 

Beauregard nodded once, triumphant.

“I’m staying with you, and so will Cad and Veth. The others will go with Molly” Jester nudged her, tilting her head towards him and Caleb saw the triumph disappear. He must look as pathetic as he felt then. 

“Look... man... I know it sucks” she put a hand on his shoulder “why don’t you just  _ talk _ to him?” 

Caleb blushed and shook his head, making Beauregard sigh again.

“He misses you too  y’know ” Jester said quietly “really he does”

They were silent for a moment, and Jester wrapped her arms around him in one of her almost-too-hard hugs. 

It wasn’t long before Jester, Fjord,  Yasha and Molly were gone, off to the bar. Veth and Caleb whipped up some dinner, and Beauregard pulled out drinks. Handing him a glass of his  favourite whiskey. He looked up curiously 

“We should at least do  _ something _ to celebrate exams being over right?” 

Caleb smiled, taking a sip and grabbing his plate of food. They were eating and watching some cheesy martial arts movie that Caleb didn’t know the name of when his phone went off. He felt his eyebrows raise as he saw that it was a video call from Jester. He showed Beauregard, who paused the movie while he answered. 

“CAY-LEB! LOOK!” 

Jesters face disappeared from the screen and suddenly he was looking at the familiar stage. Molly had done himself up in dark, smokey makeup to go with his black ripped jeans and blood-red silky blouse. He had jingle bells around his horns, and a holiday bow tied just below the spade of his tail. He was singing a  Winterscrest carol, but in his own slightly rougher style... Caleb blushed when he realized... it was one of the songs they had danced to. That felt like such a long time ago... had it only been two weeks? 

They watched the whole show that way, all of them curled up on the couch. The others arrived back just after midnight to find a tipsy Caleb on the couch, tipsy Beauregard in an armchair, Veth sleeping curled up in another armchair and Caduceus also asleep on the air  mattress . 

“ Heeeeyyyy ” Beauregard slurred, waving from the armchair she was lounging in “good show dude”

Mollymauk walked over and sat down on the couch, Caleb knew he should move, but he didn’t want to.

“What have you been drinking Unpleasant One? I’m pretty sure you weren’t there” he smirked

Beauregard flipped him off, turning instead to smile at  Yasha and Jester.

“We watched on the... ah... cellphone” Caleb supplied, since he was pretty sure the monk wasn’t going to explain “Jester showed us” 

Mollymauk looked surprised as Caleb spoke to him, and Caleb felt a pang of regret. The Tiefling should never be surprised that he wanted to talk to him

The smile returned quickly though, and  Mollymauk scooted a bit closer. Not quite touching, but close  enough that if Caleb wanted  to, he could reach out and... no. None of that.

“Did you enjoy the show Mr. Caleb?” 

Caleb nodded, smiling at the memory of the warm voice, beautiful even through phone speakers

“I have missed hearing you sing” 

He hadn’t meant to say that, and the shock on  Mollymauk’s face made him wish he hadn’t. But the shock faded, replaced with a soft... almost sad smile as a warm hand brushed his cheek affectionately.

“I’m sorry love, I didn’t even  realize I’d stopped” 

Caleb leaned into the touch, he couldn’t help it, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He was tired, but if he moved now... He had missed this. 

The rest of the night was a soft blur of  Mollymauk singing holiday songs quietly while they sat, curled up on the couch. Before he could properly drift off though, Beauregard led him and Veth back to his bed, saying something about thanking her in the morning. He thought he might had heard  Mollymauks voice, sounding annoyed in the other room... but he fell asleep too quickly to check. 

Part Two

Molly

The last two days leading up to  Winterscrest were... frustrating. Molly couldn’t get Caleb’s voice out of his head, the soft way he had spoken when he told Molly that he missed his singing... Molly hadn’t been lying, he really hadn’t realized he had stopped singing around the apartment. A week without it had shown him just how much time he and Caleb had been spending together before all of this... The quiet nights at home, curled up on the couch watching TV or chatting. The mornings of sleepy breakfasts and coffee.

Not that they didn’t see each other, the whole Mighty Nein was living under one roof, they saw  _ everyone. _

But it wasn’t the same, Caleb barely spoke to him (or much at all from what Molly had seen). The most he had heard from the other man was when Caleb had argued with Beau and Fjord about staying home until after  Winterscrest . He smiled at the memory; he was sure those blue eyes had found his more often during that one argument then they had the rest of the week combined. He was grateful that Caleb had gotten the others to agree, the idea of spending the holiday away from the beautiful decorations they had all worked so hard on had been awful. 

Nothing seemed to help the nightmares though, every night blood and horrible laughter filled his dreams. The weird tea Caddy made helped stop them from waking him up, not like the ones about his own past, but that was almost worse. He just woke up tired and anxious. 

\---- 

When  Winterscrest finally arrived, Molly dragged  Yasha out of bed at the crack of dawn and together they made a huge breakfast. Coffee, eggs,  _ lots _ of bacon, toast... they even attempted the weird mushroom things Cad usually made. The others woke slowly, drawn in by the smell of food and coffee. 

The last ones up were Caleb and Veth, Molly watched as Veth ran over to get some bacon before Beau could steal it  all and bit his lip as Caleb took in the sight of them. His heart leapt as Caleb looked right at him, expression still sleep-soft, and  _ smiled _

“This looks amazing Mollymauk” 

“Happy  Winterscrest darling!” he sang happily “come get some food before these heathens eat it all”

Caleb laughed,  actually  _ laughed _ and Molly could have sworn he nearly wept. Maybe things could go back to normal after all. 

They leaned the air mattress (precariously) up against the wall and crowded around the coffee table with their food and drinks. Caleb sat between Molly and Beau. Veth and  Yeza (who had arrived early that morning) were next to her, the Fjord and Caduceus, the Jester and  Yasha on Molly’s other side. They had found a holiday station on the radio and everyone was chatting and laughing. Beau and Veth were fighting over more bacon, Jester was teasing Fjord while Caduceus smiled serenely between them.  Yasha was watching Beau with that sappy expression Molly had seen on her face before, though he hadn’t gone so far as to ask about it yet. And Caleb...

Molly sighed happily; Caleb was sipping his coffee with a soft expression on his face. He seemed to be doing exactly what Molly had been: watching their family. As everyone finished up, Caleb got up and started grabbing dishes, Molly jumped up to help. Between the two of them, they managed to get all the plates in one go. Caleb loaded them into the larger side of the sink and started washing them off while Beau and Fjord started an  arm-wrestling match behind them. 

Molly stepped over to the side, grabbing a dry towel and starting to dry off dishes as Caleb finished washing them. They worked in silence, but it wasn’t the tense and awkward silence that had found them lately. It was comfortable, companionable. 

“Let's do gifts!” Jester called out happily from the other room. Molly put away the last plate and turned to smile at Caleb, and to his surprise he got a small smile in return before the ginger walked back over to the group. 

They started pulling out gifts from under the tree, the rule had been nothing expensive and nothing huge, so the gifts had all fit under the tree. Molly had taken a ton of pictures of the tree the  night before, it had looked so perfect the all the wrapped gifts under it. 

Caduceus had put together little tea kits for everyone, with special personalized blends for each person. Molly’s smelled lightly floral and sweet, with  some kind of spiced undertone. Cad said it would be magenta when it was brewed, and Molly was  _ very  _ excited to try it.  Veth and  Yeza had put together care kits, extra socks and toothbrushes and all the little things that “young people forget about” according to the smiling couple. At the bottom of each package was a key with a  coloured ring. 

“The keys are all for our place” Veth explained, smiling around at them before turning back to  Yeza “so our family will always have a place to go” 

Caleb had teared up at that. Moving over to wrap Veth up in a hug that the halfling woman gladly returned. 

Jester had done something  similar to Cad, little kits with all the dry ingredients for their  favourite pastries. Along with handmade, beautiful cards.  Beau blushed when they opened her gifts, each one just something little that she knew they would love. For Molly, that meant new picks for his guitar and a vintage leather vest with a tassel fringe along the back. He smiled and pulled it on over his pajamas... she flipped him off.

Fjord had gotten everyone gift certificates for a day cruise out of Nicodranis, which had made Jester tear up and launch herself at the half-orc to crush him in a hug.

Molly had loved shopping for everyone, mainly because Molly loved shopping. For Jester he had gotten a bright pink unicorn plush with a rhinestone collar, for Beau a new set of hand wraps. For Cad a gorgeous vintage tea set, for Fjord a vintage brass telescope, for Veth and  Yeza a full vintage china set.  Yasha had gotten a book of vintage pressed flowers and for Caleb he had managed to find an old  leather-bound history book written in what he was pretty sure was  Zemnian . 

Caleb had tried to abscond with his gift the moment he opened it, eyes wide and bright. 

“Mollymauk... do you know what you’ve found here?” he asked, staring up at Molly, who shrugged. 

“The guy at the antique market said it was a history book, and it looked like  Zemnian to me”

Caleb smiled brightly at him “it is, in a way... it’s written in the language of Ziedel” the human chuckled when Molly just looked confused

“This is the  language that  Zemnian _ comes  _ from, this could very well be Pre-Calamity writing  Mollymauk ” 

“Then I guess it was a real steal, guy practically gave it to me” Molly laughed, warmth growing in his chest as Caleb stared raptly down at the book. He loved when a gift went over well. 

Caleb had gotten everyone books, based entirely on their taste. Smut for Jester, nautical history for Fjord, a spy novel for Beau, the language of flowers for  Yasha , a chemistry book for  Yeza and a book of cantrips for Veth. For Molly, there was a card with a code written in it for an audiobook, he looked up curiously. Caleb blushed

“I know you prefer audiobooks... I found a copy of the fairytales I showed you” his eyes darted to the bookshelf “it has... both the  Zemnian and the translated version, so you can choose...”

Gods, he was too sweet. 

Molly leaned in and hugged him, smiling as he pulled away 

“That’s perfect, thank you  Mr. Caleb” 

\----

They spent the rest of the day lounging; holiday music playing and presents out. Caleb had immediately made himself cozy in his reading chair with the book from Molly. Jester was trying to convince everyone to bring their pastry kits, since the cabin “totally has a full kitchen and like what  _ else  _ are we going to do up there??” 

Beau had managed to grab a stack of about 10 books from the school library so that Caleb could work on anti-scrying charms for them all.  Yasha and Fjord had a huge map spread out on the kitchen island and were plotting the best course to the cabin. 

“Why don’t we just use GPS?” Beau asked, eyeing the massive map

“If we get far enough north, it may not work”  Yasha said simply “I’ve had that happen before out there” 

They were planning to leave the next morning, bright and early. Molly sighed, watching his family at peace. You would never know they were all strung so tight that the smallest thing could make them snap. At least, not from the outside. 

Beau was tense, she was sitting up in her chair and scrolling through her  phone but the usual relaxed comfort wasn’t there.  Yasha and Fjord had been checking and re-checking the map for over an hour now,  both of them would know the route by heart by the time they got in the van tomorrow.  Yeza and Veth were attached at the hip,  Yeza had been unable to get time off work and so they would be apart for the next two weeks at least. Jester was talking to Cad, her enthusiasm and joy just a  _ bit _ too much to be natural. 

And Caleb? Caleb had retreated into his book, but his shoulders were tense where he sat sideways in the armchair. Molly couldn’t focus, couldn’t sit still... so he walked over to Caleb and sat down on the floor with his back against the chair leg. Caleb paused his reading and looked down curiously

“Read to me?” Molly asked softly, absolutely terrified that Caleb would refuse him. 

There was a moment of quiet between them, before the soft  Zemnian started above him. Caleb read just loud enough for Molly’s Tiefling hearing to pick up. At one point, Cad brought them both  tea , and they spent the rest of the night in those same spots. 

\----

The next morning dawned far too early for Molly. In a sleepy fog they rose, grabbing bags and last-minute items.  Yeza and Veth stepped aside to talk while Beau and  Yasha got everything packed.

Technically, the  Stormcloud didn’t have “seats” in the back, but because they used it to transport band equipment there  _ were _ seatbelts. 

Or, close enough anyway. 

Molly and Jester grabbed blankets and pillows and spread them all over the floor of the van. Caleb claimed a spot in the corner, curled up in on himself with a look that shot fear and stress through Molly’s whole being. Those blue eyes were... too distant, fogged over. They were too close to panic territory for comfort. Molly took a spot next to Caleb, not right in the humans' space, but close enough to be there if he needed help. Veth, Jester, Caduceus and Beau all piled in too. Jester pulled out a game system and started playing withing 20 minutes of driving, Veth looking over her shoulder. Beau fell back to sleep almost immediately. 

Molly could  hear the sound of Fjord and  Yasha in the front, he couldn’t make out the  words, but he was willing to bet that they were  strategizing rest stops. 

Molly was worried about Caleb. The ginger hadn’t gone back to sleep, and he wasn’t reading. He was just... sitting, and staring. Molly didn’t like the look on his face. 

Despite all the weirdness between them lately, Molly shuffled closer so that only Caleb would hear him.

“What’s wrong love?”

Caleb jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, turning those beautiful eyes to  Mollys . 

Molly hoped he would never get used to the thrill that look sent through him. 

“ _ ja _ ... I am...” Caleb sighed, clearly fighting with himself “I do not know  Mollymauk , everything is...” he trailed off, his look turning pleading. Molly’s breath  caught; Gods that look could kill him. 

He moved closer still, wrapping one arm around Caleb’s shoulders and tugging slightly until the other  man's body relaxed into him. 

“Tell me how to help”

There was a pause, during which Molly began slowly drawing little designs into Caleb’s shoulder with his fingertips.

“Sing for me?” 

The request was so soft, that Molly nearly missed it. He smiled slightly, leaning his cheek against the top of Caleb’s head and nodding.

“Of course love, anytime” 

Molly started humming first, trying to pick a song. After a minute he knew, and he just had to hope that for once Caleb wouldn’t read too far into it.

_“I had a thought, dear_   
_However scary_   
_About that night_   
_The bugs and the dirt”_

He felt Caleb shift slightly, curling into his side and getting comfortable.

  
_“Why were you digging?_   
_What did you_ _bury_   
_Before those hands pulled me_   
_From the earth?_ "

He kept his voice low, soft. Just between the two of them

_“I will not ask you where you came from_   
_I will not ask you, neither should you”_

He reached to the side with his free hand, tugging a blanket over to lay over them

_“Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips_   
_We should just kiss like real people do”_

He could hear Caleb’s breathing slowing and feel the way the mans’ weight settled against him. Molly continued to sing softly, snuggling in and getting comfortable. It wasn’t a particularly long song, but by the time he finished and was humming the last of the instrumentals... Caleb was  definitely asleep . Molly smiled, pressed a quick kiss to the soft auburn hair, and snuggled  into sleep. 

This was going to be a long drive... but if he got to spend even a small part of it like this, Molly really didn’t mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO  
> Important note: depression and writers block are trying to kill me, so I'm runing behind. I have one complete chapter after this but I need to work on the rest, so the updates might be a bit slow. 
> 
> On a lighter note:   
> Yes, Hozier has made an entrance because I'm a sucker for just how well his music fits our Sad Zemnian Wizard


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cabin! Fluff! Dancing! Flirty Bois!

Part One:

Caleb

They drove through the next 16 hours in what felt at some points like a race against time, and at others like they had been in the damned van forever. At each rest stop Caleb cast a spell to disguise everyone, making them all look like non-descript humans. He found that he was still exhausted. He had slept on and off through the whole trip, curled up against  Mollymauk (as  embarrassing as that was, given the state of their... friendship? Recently). 

Mollymauk seemed to know when he was having the most trouble sleeping, and he would start to hum or sing under his breath. Caleb had no way to tell the Tiefling how much he appreciated it. He knew they would have to talk at some point soon... the air needed clearing. 

All he could hope for was that  Mollymauk would forgive him and allow them to go back to being friends. Caleb could live with less physical contact, no more light kisses to his temple or  forehead ... he would miss it terribly, but if it kept  Mollymauk in his life, he would live with it. 

The car slowed to a stop finally, it had been hours since the last rest stop and everyone in the back of the van was cramped and dying to stretch. The back doors creaked open and Jesters smiling form was revealed

"We're  heeeeere !!" She sang out happily "let's go lazy bones! Time to unpack!" With that, she grabbed a few bags as if they were nothing and skipped off. 

"You think we were actually on vacation instead of running for our lives…." Beau grumbled, eliciting a chuckle from Fjord and rolled eyes from Veth. They climbed out, groaning and stretching as they took in the scene. 

The cabin was even more cute in real life, the building itself was small and made of logs, with a dark wood roof and a neat gravel path leading up to a solid wood front door. There were planter boxes that would likely be full of flowers in the warmer months hanging on the windows, and you could just see the lake a few hundred feet behind the place. The mid-afternoon winter sun dappled the whole area with a warm glow, and Caleb (despite his constant, gnawing anxiety) felt himself breathe deeply for the first time in what felt like a very long time. 

A soft, appreciative whistle broke him out of his revere, followed by Mollymauk's voice much closer than he had expected "if the inside is half as nice as the outside, I don't think I'll mind being on the run" 

Caleb let out a surprised laugh causing Molly to step in front of him and raise a perfectly arched eyebrow. 

"And what, pray tell, is so funny  Mr Widogast ?" 

Caleb stepped back, still chuckling and said, half covering his mouth 

"It is just… well  ** look ** at you  _ Shatz _ " he waved a hand at  Mollymauk in his leather pants and boots, with the vibrant magenta  v-necked tunic (strings completely undone of course) under the floor-length fur-lined coat and the quaint cottage scene behind him "this is ah… not exactly where I would think you would spend your holidays you know?" He chuckled again as  Mollymauk rolled his eyes and then winked.

"I am absolutely  _ full _ of surprises  Mr Caleb" he smirked, seeming to enjoy the light flush of pink his wink had brought to Caleb's cheeks. Caleb knew he was just too easy to tease, but maybe that was a good thing. 

"Now come on, I'll grab the bags and you start putting up all your fancy wards" he patted Caleb's cheek as he walked back towards the van, and Caleb couldn’t help but watch the swing of his hips.

By the Gods he was in trouble.

The inside of the cabin was, in fact, just as cute as the outside. The walls were paneled with a rich warm wood, and all the furniture seemed to be made of the same material. When they walked in, there was a sunken living room with an older looked couch, three armchairs and a loveseat, all placed by a huge stone fireplace. There was an empty vase on a low wooden coffee table between the big couch and the fireplace. Just past that was the kitchen, a weathered wooden table and eight chairs, with country style pale yellow cupboards and wood countertops. The stove and fridge looked older, but still useable. The bedrooms, they discovered were decorated in the same rustic style, wood bedframes with matching side tables, mirrors and dressers. There were bathrooms connecting the bedrooms, with lockable doors on each end. 

Mollymauk was  _ very _ excited about the deep clawfoot tub in one of the bathrooms, and he and Jester gushed about needing  bath bombs for it. There was also a large covered porch that ran all the way around the cabin, two sides looked out on the woods and two looked out on the frozen lake. 

About an hour later, all the bags had been moved into the 4 bedrooms, the booze brought with them had been put in the otherwise empty fridge and Caleb had just finished setting up the last of the wards. 

"So," said Beau as she walked back from the kitchen " there is literally no food here. We really should have stopped at an actual grocery store on the way" 

Mollymauk shrugged "why don't a few of us head back to town for supplies? Maybe those who can disguise themselves?" The others nodded, Jester jumping up excitedly, Fjord standing with a sigh (clearly not excited to get back in the van so soon). Veth stood as well, walking over to Jester with a smile. As Caleb started to stand several voices called out at once

"Nope!"

"No chance"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT"

Caleb dropped back into his seat shooting shocked looks between Mollymauk, Beau and Veth. "I-I….  _ Was? _ " 

Fjord shook his head and spoke in a much calmer voice "you should stay here Caleb, within the wards, where it's safer. We can easily handle a grocery run." 

"But l… I was going to look for a bookstore, don't give me that look Veth, to see if I could find more information on how to enchant anti-scrying pendants for everyone" he rubbed the back of his neck, looking awkwardly at everyone's feet " _ und _ if I'm disguised…." 

"No." Beau interrupted, then her voice softened she continued "look man, we're here because we want to keep you safe, we don't know if they can see through disguises, and just in  ** case ** we would rather keep you here." She could tell he was about to interrupt again, so she held up her hand "don't start with worrying about our safety, those bastards aren't after us. If keeping you safe means tying you to that chair then Molly will do it."

"Hey! What makes you think I know how to the someone to a chair?!" 

She rolled her eyes " ** don't ** you?" 

"Well yes," he said matter-of-factly  _ (“that _ is interesting information...” thought Caleb) _ " _ but I'm curious about what gave me away."

"Ugh.  ** Any-WAY ** it's settled, Fjord, Jester and Veth can go get groceries,  Yasha and I will patrol the edges of the property" she paused and turned a glare at Caleb "and  ** you ** are staying either in this cabin, or on the porch unless one of us is with you" 

Caleb sighed " _ ja _ _ ja _ …. Okay fine." 

"Good." 

He knew they were just trying to keep him safe, but the next few hours were, for lack of a better word… dull. They hadn't started that way, for the first hour Caleb was completely on edge, jumping at every sound. Then he took to pacing in front of the front windows, watching the driveway expectantly, his brow furrowed. He jumped as a warm hand landed on his arm, he pulled his eyes from the window with difficulty to look over at Mollymauk.

“Come away from the window darling, you’re just going to stress yourself out more” 

Caleb grumbled, eyes darting back to the window. Molly hummed thoughtfully

“Why don’t we grab the books Beau grabbed for you, start looking into the charms?”

Oh, low blow.  Mollymauk knew that Caleb couldn’t resist a project... and that he was desperate to keep their family safe. He deliberated for a moment and then spit out

“ _ Ja. Ja _ fine” 

He turned on his heel, striding quickly to the room that Jester had pointed out as having his stuff in it. He knew  Mollymauk didn’t deserve his irritable mood, but between nearly dying, exams, and the stress of worrying about their relationship... Caleb was feeling snippy. 

He grabbed the tote bag full of books, his own notebook, and several pens and brought them all to the kitchen table. He set everything  up and started work. 

Caleb had always loved research, especially arcane research. It was one of the only things that made his constant and perfect internal clock fade away. As such, he had no idea how long he worked before Caduceus set the steaming cup of tea next to him with a pat on the shoulder. He looked up into the pale pink eyes of his friend and smiled in thanks, taking a sip. It was, as always, delicious. 

It felt like a very short time later that Caleb heard the door of the cabin slam and Veth’s voice ring out

“We’re home!!”

“We brought tasty food!” added Jester. 

They whipped up a quick dinner (when had it gotten to dinner time?) and all sat in the living room so as not to disturb Caleb’s research. 

Caleb made sure to take one of the old-fashioned armchairs, to avoid any chance of being too close to  Mollymauk . He had been tired and weak on the ride over and had given in to the comfort that the Tiefling offered. He couldn’t do that, couldn’t use the other man that way anymore. Not when there was no chance of hiding it. 

\----

It took three days of solid study for Caleb to sort out exactly how to make the anti-scrying pendants. The materials wouldn’t be cheap, but he could  definitely make them now. He hadn’t slept much during the last few days. He had ended up sharing a room with  Mollymauk ... because either the universe or his friends were evil. The research had been a very  good excuse not to go to bed until  _ well after  _ his roommate. 

He stood up suddenly, holding up his final sheet of notes, the others turned to stare in confusion

“I have it. I can make the charms” 

There was a moment of silence before Beauregard and Veth both jumped up and whooped. Jester was clapping and yelling about how wonderful it was while Veth ran over and hugged his knees. After a few minutes of celebration, Beau grabbed a piece of blank note paper and held it out to him 

“List of components, we saw a shop in town that carried all sorts of magic shit” 

Caleb laughed at the description but wrote out the list as clearly as possible. Beauregard took it, and turned to look at the others

“Same team as before, same disguises?”

Veth and Fjord nodded. Veth pulled on  Caleb's arm to make him lean over and planted a kiss on his cheek

“You are the  cleverest boy, I am  _ so  _ proud of you” he smiled at her gratefully as she continued “now, go get some sleep. We’ll bring home some treats and we can celebrate tonight before you start doing your magic” 

Caleb smiled indulgently and nodded; he  _ was  _ pretty wiped out. 

\---- 

Several hours later, there was a knock on his door. Caleb woke with a start, looking around in confusion while his brain caught up. Veth’s voice rang out from the other side of the door

“Caleb, we’re going to have some dinner, and we brought you back a surprise from town”

He sat up and stretched

“I will be out in just a moment” he called, getting out of bed. 

He looked in the mirror, his hair was disheveled but not much more than usual, and he was already wearing comfortable grey sweatpants and a blue sweater he liked. He shrugged at the man in the mirror and headed for the kitchen.

He gasped when he turned out of the hall and saw what they had done. Someone (he was sure it was Jester) had convinced them to buy streamers and left-over  Winterscrest decorations and they had hung them all over the main room. The only thing un-decorated was the fireplace, but it  _ did _ have a cozy fire roaring in it. The counter was covered in delicious food,  Marquesian takeout by the look of it, and everyone was holding drinks and smiling at him. 

Mollymauk walked forward and handed him a large mug of the lemon tea he loved and judging from the smell...

“Where did you find the whiskey?” he asked, laughing

Mollymauk just winked “our little secret darling” 

\----

Several hours, and drinks, later Caleb watched as the others (save for Caduceus, who was sitting at the breakfast bar sipping tea) danced around the living room. The songs weren't all the upbeat club music that Caleb had expected, and for that he was thankful. He sipped at his whiskey, he knew that once again he had had maybe a little too much. But he couldn’t find it in himself to worry, they were celebrating after all. He was riding that fine line between comfortably drunk and completely wasted. that wonderful point when everything seemed soft and your skin buzzed gently. 

He smiled as Molly swayed his hips to the smooth song that played, the tassels on the back of the leather vest Molly had gotten for  Winterscrest (worn over nothing, of course) swayed along with him. The singer sounded like one of the old crooners his parents had listened too so long ago. The song made him think of tangos, soft lighting and vintage clothes. 

It was always hard to look away from Molly when he danced, there was some innate magic that flowed from the Tiefling when music was involved. It was just as intoxicating as the drinks, if he was honest. Especially after over a week of trying to distance himself from the other man... why had he done that again?

Caleb flushed as he realized that Molly was looking back at him, a downright dangerous smile on his face. Caleb took a larger gulp of whiskey as Molly danced over, holding out a perfectly manicured hand. Caleb shook his head

"I ah- I can’t dance Mollymauk" he slurred.

Molly shook his head right back, taking Caleb's hand.

"I  _ know _ that isn’t true, you’ll have to prove it love"

Caleb shivered at the familiar endearment, he downed the last of his glass. Setting it on the side table he stood up, giving in to the temptation that  _ was  _ Mollymauk Tealeaf

"Just don't blame me when your toes get broken"

Molly laughed, a soft, joyful sound.

He lead Caleb out, keeping one hand in his own and settling the other on the jut of Caleb's hip. Caleb gasped softly as Molly pulled him close, causing Caleb to clutch at Molly's back with his free hand.

"There you go dear, now just..." He leaned in, his lips a breath away from Calebs ear and sighed "relax"

Molly lead Caleb around, his hand on Caleb's hip steering him in the smooth steps. Caleb felt himself relax under the warm pressure, smiling and leaning into Molly's chest. It seemed to Caleb that this tango- esk dance had motions fairly similar to the waltz he already knew. Caleb found himself transfixed with the way Molly moved, he was velvet smooth with every twist and spin. When a new more modern song came on, Molly moved Caleb's arms up to rest on his shoulders before gripping Caleb's hips with both hands. Caleb flushed and heard himself gasp out a laugh as Molly pulled him close and showed him how to sway his hips along with the song. 

Without realizing it, Caleb continued the movement as he leaned in, resting his forehead against Molly's.

"You.. you are an excellent teacher  _ Shatz _ " his voice sounded breathless, even to his own ears.

Molly caught his eye and smirked before spinning them around, taking Caleb's breath away.

"What does that mean?" Caleb was oddly pleased to hear the lower octave Molly's voice was at now. He hummed curiously in response

" _ Shatz _ " Molly clarified, leaning in so the word was a breath past Caleb's ear. He shivered, but tilted his own head so that his lips brushed Molly's ear in return, emboldened by either the drink or Molly's proximity he lowered his own voice to a soft growl.

"Treasure... it means you are my treasure”

He felt Molly shiver, and the hands on his hips tightened, almost to bruising. Caleb's heart was pounding a rhythm he didn't know, he knew his cheeks must be completely red by now. He pulled his face away just enough to rest his forehead back on Molly's, looking into those bright red eyes. Molly's cheeks were a darker purple than usual, and his lips were parted just slightly. Gods be damned they looked tempting.

Before Caleb could act on the sudden desire filling his fuzzy brain, there was a crash. They jumped apart, both looking flushed and guilty, heads whipping around to see where Jester and Veth had spun into a side table, sending it toppling over.

“ _ Scheisse" _

Caleb bolted. Panic filled his brain and he practically ran to the bedroom, snapping the door shut behind himself. 

What the in all the hells had he been thinking? He had already fucked up his friendship with Molly enough with what happened with Astrid. They had  _ just  _ started to move back towards normal, the Tiefling had finally stopped looking like he wanted to cry whenever he thought Caleb couldn’t see him.  Tonight was supposed to be a celebration of the group making one more step towards being properly safe. 

He could hear a commotion out in the main room, Veth was yelling at Molly, asking what he had done to Caleb.  Mollys voice was quieter, calmer... it sounded like he was making an excuse. The voices of Beau and  Yasha joined in, soothing. He sighed, why did he always have to cause problems? 

There was a gentle knock on the door, Caleb froze. 

“Caleb? It’s Caduceus, just checking in”

Caleb felt himself slump with relief

“ _ Ja _ Caduceus, I am... I just had too much to drink I think” 

There was a soft hum from the other side of the door “well that’s never fun, try to get some rest... I’ll make some tea” 

“Thank you, please ask Veth to stop yelling at  Mollymauk ... it’s not his fault”

“Of course, no problem” 

He heard the  firbolg walk away and sighed, walking over to the bed and dropping down. He lay there a moment with his eyes closed before the rocking/spinning sensation got to be too much and he had to open them. He lay there, staring at the ceiling and just wallowing in drunken misery for 5 minutes, 48 seconds before he heard another light knock on the door. 

“ _ Ja _ , come in” he called, maybe the tea would help with his stomach. 

The door opened, then shut again quietly. He didn’t look up,  hearing the sound of a  teacup and saucer being placed on the dresser. 

“Are you okay Mister Caleb?”

He sat bolt upright, making his head spin again, as he realized that it was  Mollymauk’s voice. 

The Tiefling was standing by the door, a worried look on his face and his tail flicking nervously behind him. Caleb sighed, even now the sight of the other man was enough to send his heart into a high-speed patter. He must have been silent for too long, because  Mollymauk started to wring his hands, chewing on his bottom lip

Now... that was distracting... 

No. Bad Caleb. 

“I... I am sorry,  Mollymauk . I did not mean to... to behave like that, and I’m afraid I panicked” 

The whiskey was making honesty just so much easier than trying to find an excuse.  Mollymauk sighed, leaning against the door slightly. 

“Do you think... could we talk Caleb?” he paused again, looking far more nervous than Caleb was used to seeing him “about... what’s been going on since Astris attacked?” 

Caleb felt himself go pale, and he sighed. He had known this was coming, and he  _ knew _ they needed to have this talk, but that didn’t mean he wanted to. He stood up off the bed and walked closer, they should be on even footing for this.

“ _ Ja _ Mollymauk , we should talk” 

Part Two

Molly

Molly’s heart was beating hard as Caleb walked closer, it wasn’t the same pounding beat that had been drumming in his ears while they danced. Nor was it the horrified mess that he had heard when they found Caleb bleeding out just over a week before. 

No, this was more like the  flut ters he felt every time the human held his hand, nervous and anticipatory. 

“I just...” he started, fidgeting with a ring on one hand “I don’t understand what happened. You nearly died, and now... you won’t even look at me most of the time” he looked down, feeling wildly pathetic for even needing to bring this up. 

Caleb sighed, and Molly looked up at him.   


"Yes... I know I have been acting... oddly around you and I'm sorry for it"   


Molly watched as Caleb's cheeks went pink, and the man tried to figure out how he wanted to word what he was going to say.

"I know you must ha-have seen what happened... What Astrid did to lure me in"

Molly's heart was pounding now, this was it, this was where Caleb was going to tell Molly that he didn't feel the same way. He tried to prepare himself for the inevitable rejection, he knew it was coming... That Caleb hadn’t felt the same way, that it had been hopeless from the start. 

"I... I know it must have made you uncomfortable, and I'm so sorry, I never wanted my... My  _ infatuation _ to make you uncomfortable".

Molly stared, he was sure he was misunderstanding. The pink flush had reached Caleb's adorably human ears now, and he couldn't seem to hold eye contact. Molly fought back the small glimmer of hope that had started in his chest

"I... I value" he paused, making the adorable face that Molly knew meant he was trying to translate in his head "I care about our friendship, I care for you Mollymauk. I would never do anything to put that in jeopardy"   


Wait. Wait waitwait no. He said _infatuation_ , he definitely said infatuation. The little glimmer of hope was a flame now, burning him from the inside. Molly bit his lip.   


Time to take a risk.   


He stepped forward, and Caleb (gods bless him) stuttered into silence.   


"You don't need to apologize for anything" Molly got right into the other man's space now "I'm flattered really, she didn't pick Fjord, or Cad, or Jester... Or Essek" he grimaced at the last name "and now I think I understand why she picked me, honestly I do"

Caleb looked up again "really?" his voice was a whisper.

"Of course love" Molly cupped Caleb's cheek gently, giving him ample ability to pull away "the thing is ... If it had been _me_ she was after, she would have known exactly which ginger Zemnian’s face to steal"   


Molly watched as the pieces clicked together, and Caleb's cheeks went from pink to red. He leaned in, moving his eyes from Caleb's blue ones, down to the humans lips, and back. The question clear in his eyes. There was a beat where Molly was sure that Caleb could hear his heart pounding in his chest.   


And then... Caleb kissed him.   


The kiss wasn't frenzied and needy. It was slow, soft and exploring. Molly hands had slid into the soft auburn hair, not pulling, just holding. Caleb ran his hands down the Tieflings sides in return, resting them on his hips. Not grabbing, just steadying. 

This wasn't a kiss to lead somewhere, this was a kiss to understand. It was warm, it was months of affection and care embodied. 

It was far too short for Molly’s liking. 

Caleb pulled away first, resting his head on Molly’s forehead the same way he had when they danced.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that  _ shatz”  _

Molly felt a shiver at the nickname, the way Caleb's voice lowered when he said it. He leaned in and stole another slow kiss before responding

“Oh love, I think I have every idea”

Molly pulled Caleb back slightly, pressing his own back against the door while they traded the soft, sweet kisses. Caleb pulled away again after a few minutes, Molly heard himself whine slightly at the loss and heard Caleb chuckle, the humans lips brushing against Molly’s earlobe as he did. 

Molly gasped as Caleb began to trail feather-light kisses down his neck, moving slowly from the base of his pointed ear to the spot where neck met shoulder. He paused there to nip lightly at the lavender skin 

“Why do you  _ always _ smell so damned  _ gut _ ?” he mumbled against  Molly's skin. 

Molly felt like his brain was melting, the trail of kisses burned down his throat and the rumble in Caleb’s voice was doing something absolutely  _ wonderful _ to his nerves. His fingers tightened in  Caleb's hair instinctively as the other  man's thumbs pressed into the crease of his hips. 

Caleb’s lips and teeth dragged across Molly’s collarbone now, before moving back to the pulse point he had found. This time, he bit down instead of just grazing the skin. It wasn’t hard enough to break skin, but it sent a shock down Molly’s spine, and his tail wound around Caleb’s ankle  possessively .

There was a loud  thunk as Caleb sucked the sensitive skin and Molly threw his head back, his horns hitting the door. Caleb  _ smiled _ against his skin and brought his lips up to Molly’s earlobe again

“Might want to watch those  _ Kätzchen _ , the others are right out there” 

Molly bit his lip to stifle a moan as Caleb slid one hand up his bare chest. Suddenly his choice to wear just his vest seemed absolutely  brilliant . 

“Kiss me then love, that ought to shut me up” he teased breathlessly

Caleb complied, nipping at his ear once before capturing his lips again. He tasted like honey and lemon, and Molly’s head swam with it. Molly felt Caleb’s thumb hook into the waistband of his pants and gasped at the sensation. Caleb, smiling, ran his tongue along the back of Molly’s teeth, teasing over the sharp fangs. Molly growled into the kiss, pressing his own tongue against the humans before nipping at his bottom lip. Not hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough to  elicit a shiver and groan from the human.

Ah, so that was how they were going to play this... Molly smirked. He took one hand out of Caleb’s hair, using it to turn the lock on the bedroom door, and then started pushing against the other man. Only breaking the kiss when they got where he was leading. He pressed his free hand against the small of Caleb’s back as the humans’ legs hit the bed and he wobbled. Using his tail (and fantastic core strength) he lowered them onto the bed. He pressed his lips against Caleb’s again, and found absolutely no resistance before he kissed back. 

Molly slid his hands up Caleb's chest, pushing the soft sweater up with them and Caleb broke their kiss with a whine as the offending garment was pushed up and off. Molly sat up slightly, taking in the image before him

Caleb... laid out on his back on the soft sheets, his hair an auburn halo around his head. Cheeks were flushed pink while his lips were red and shining... the pink blush spread down his neck and chest, highlighting the pale scars. There was that patch of darker auburn hair that started at his bellybutton and led down into the waistband of his joggers... but as always, it was the eyes that drove Molly mad. Blue eyes dark with want and pupils blown wide, staring up at him pleadingly. Molly bit his lip and watched as Caleb mirrored the action. 

Gods, this man was beautiful.

Molly could spend days just looking at him... but not right now. Time for that later. Instead, he leaned down and ran his tongue from Caleb's sternum up to this neck, stopping to press his teeth against the sensitive skin there. The gasp he got in return sent a thrill down his spin and made him smile against the flushed skin. Molly went slow now, savoring the little gasps and whines that came with each languid kiss along Caleb’s shoulders and collar bones, loving the way the man under him would gasp out his name when he managed to find a particularly sensitive spot. 

When he finally gave in and made his way back to Caleb's lips, he felt hands tangle in his hair as Caleb kissed back feverishly. He knew he would stay here forever if he could. The lemon honey taste mixed with the cinnamon-smoke smell that was so uniquely  _ Caleb _ was making his head spin.

Or was that the wine? He had had a  _ lot _ of wine. 

He groaned as that thought hit, they were both very drunk. He broke the kiss and Caleb let out a needy whine that just about broke his resolve right there.

“Love” Caleb tried to tug him back down, and he couldn’t help but chuckle as he gave in for another minute 

“Caleb, love, we need to slow down” Caleb actually  _ pouted _ at him “I know, I know... but we’re both  _ very _ drunk” 

He moved so he wasn’t straddling the other man anymore, instead laying on his side next to Caleb and pulling the wizard in close. 

“I don’t want you doing something you’ll regret tomorrow darling” he said softly, burying his nose in the wild red hair and breathing deep. He tried to slow his wild heartbeat.

Caleb mumbled something against his chest, Molly hummed curiously, and Caleb lifted his head to look Molly in the eye.  The beautiful blue eyes were still dark and wanting, and it sent a zing through Molly’s chest. 

“I could never regret you Mollymauk” the humans voice was soft and deep, and Molly’s named rolled off his tongue like a sigh. Gods Molly was screwed. 

Molly smiled, leaning down to kiss him again, softly this time. Slow and sweet. 

Once he could stand the idea, he pulled away and smiled again. He opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by loud banging on the bedroom door. Molly was pretty sure that if he hadn’t had his arms  around the other man, Caleb would have jumped out of bed right then and there.

“What the HELL are you doing in there?” Came Veth’s annoyed voice

“Talking!” Molly called back, unabashed

“THEN WHY IS THE DOOR LOCKED??” she yelled again

“Something called  _ Privacy  _ Veth, ever heard of it?” 

There was a silence, and then a stream of swear words in several languages. 

“We will be out in just a few minutes  _ liebling _ _ ”  _ Caleb called, his voice soothing

“Hmph! You’d better!” 

They were silent for a moment, until they could hear Veth’s voice coming from the living room again. Caleb sighed, curling up against Molly’s chest again, hands splayed out against his skin. Molly felt that oh-so-familiar warmth spread through his chest as he smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Caleb’s head. 

“I suppose... we ought to talk this out a bit?” Caleb mumbled, he sounded sleepy

“Hmm... probably, but we don’t need to get everything figured out now” 

Molly felt Caleb nod against him 

“Would you... like to keep doing this?” The quiet voice faltered slightly “I mean... not right this second, but in general?” 

“I thought you’d never ask” 

Caleb looked up at him again, a warm (and  definitely sleepy ) smile on his face. Molly kissed the tip of his nose, then seized by a burst of playfulness, peppered Caleb’s face with small kisses. Caleb laughed

“You are ridiculous” 

“You wouldn’t have me any other way” 

\----

Molly laid there for another 5 minutes before Caleb fell asleep, and then another 20 after just enjoying the comfort of it. He untangled himself from the sleeping man, tugging the mussed covers up and over him. He took the now cold tea back to the kitchen, head held high as he ignored the glares coming from Veth. 

“Sorry Caddy, we got caught up and then he fell asleep without his tea” Molly said, smiling ruefully at Caduceus and holding up the cup. He opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water, turning back to the living room. Beau and Yasha were curled up on the loveseat, sipping drinks and chatting quietly with Fjord and Caduceus. Jester was sitting cross legged behind Veth on the floor, braiding the smaller  womans hair with ribbons. 

All of them turned to look at him as he spoke.  Yasha and Caduceus smiled at him while Beau looked skeptical and Veth looked furious. Fjord looked mostly concerned. 

“No problem at all Molly, we have plenty of tea. I’m glad he’s resting”

Molly nodded as he wandered over. All he really wanted to do was go back to their room, get in his cozy pjs and curl back up around Caleb. But they hadn’t talked about whether they were going to tell the others right off the bat, so he didn’t want to raise suspicions. He sprawled out over one of the armchairs, setting one bottle of water on the floor and opening the other to take a sip. 

“What did you do to my boy?” Veth asked, glaring

“Nothing, we were talking and lost track of time” he shrugged

Beau narrowed her eyes at him “talking about  _ what _ Molly? You look pretty tired for someone who was  _ just talking”  _

Molly sighed, letting his annoyance show 

“If you  _ must _ know, we were talking about the attack. I wanted to know why he was acting so weird around me”

That got them. Beau looked shocked, and  Yasha looked proud. He smiled at  Yasha , took another sip of water and then stood up.

“And  _ no _ , I won’t tell you anything other than that it was a good talk, we cleared the air, and everything is fine. The details are between Caleb and  me ”

He grabbed the other water bottle with his tail and swayed back towards the room, waving and calling goodnights over his shoulder. 

He opened the door slowly, closing it as quietly as he could and flipping the lock. He changed quickly, pulling on the soft flannel pajama pants, putting the water bottles on the bedside table and sliding in under the covers. He scooted in close to Caleb, who rolled over and blinked at him blearily

“ Mollymauk ? Where...” he yawned and Molly smiled, wrapping his arms around the ginger

“Shh, I just went to get us some water” he whispered “go back to sleep love” 

He heard a soft hum of assent, and Caleb shifted against him, getting comfortable. Molly sighed happily, nuzzled into the soft red hair, and fell asleep to the soft breathing and familiar scent of Caleb. 

He could think of nothing better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eep >.<
> 
> Sooooooooooooooooooooo  
> (Music that inspired the dancing was, in order, Sway: Michael Buble and either Savage Love or Despacito (yes yes I know I'm SORRY))
> 
> Please go easy on me cause I haven't written anything like That Kiss in a LONG time 😅😅  
> I'm still a bit behind, but I'm working on the next couple chapters now and I'll hopefully have an update soon. 
> 
> ALSO: to everyone who commented last chapter, you're all so sweet and I really appreciate the patience while I get through the writers block and annoying depressive episode, Thank you all 💖💖


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic! Snow! Shopping! Fluff!

Part One

Caleb

Caleb woke slowly that morning, warm and with a feeling of deep-seated  _ content _ that he couldn’t initially place. He lay there, not willing to move and lose the feeling. He sighed happily, nuzzling into the warm body wrapped around him, feeling a hand slide through his hair.

“Are you pretending to sleep love?” came an amused whisper from just above him.

The memories from the day before crashed down all at once. The spell, the party... dancing with  Mollymauk , their talk and...

Oh, right. 

The contented feeling was still there, even as the embarrassment clawed its way in.  Mollymauk didn’t hate him, in fact... it seemed like he  _ wanted _ him? Caleb’s heart leapt in his chest as he remembered the feeling of the Tieflings lips on his. The desperate need he had felt when the other  man's hands were on his skin. 

He shivered, and felt  Mollymauks hand stop in his hair

“Are you okay?” the voice was soft, soothing “do you want me to let go?” 

A spike of panic at that idea, Caleb shook his head  vigorously , pressing a kiss to the lavender chest in front of him before responding

“ _ Nein  _ _ Kätzchen _ , I...” he took a deep breath “I just need a moment to adjust”

Mollymauk hummed in  understanding and went back to gently running a hand through Caleb’s hair, fixing the larger tangles as he did. 

Caleb slowed his breathing, allowing himself to just... think.  Mollymauk wanted to be with him, as completely insane as that seemed. Or at least, he had the night before... Caleb added that to the list of things they needed to talk about. 

Okay, if the Tiefling  _ did _ still want to be with Caleb now that the wine was out of his system... what would that mean for him? That one was easy, Caleb wanted that too. 

Could this work? Could they make it work? 

He wanted to try. 

He nodded against  Mollymauks chest, and forced himself to pull away slightly, just enough to see the other  mans face. His breath caught in his chest when their eyes met.  Mollymauk was always beautiful, but this version was something entirely new. The purple curls were disheveled, sleep mussed and wild, and there was still the sleep-soft look in those warm scarlet eyes. He had a small, affectionate smile on his face, looking at Caleb in a way he had never expected to be looked at. The glow of early winter sun through the cracks in the blinds made the whole scene look almost ethereal.

It was breathtaking,  _ Mollymauk _ was breathtaking. And Caleb couldn’t help but return the smile, sliding one of his hands up from where it rested on the lavender chest to tuck a curl behind a horn. 

“Well hello there darling”

“Good morning  _ Shatz”  _ he sighed again “we ought to talk, hm?” 

Mollymauk smirked at him, leaning down to brush his lips over Caleb’s, feather light.

“I can think of things I would much rather be doing, if I’m honest love” 

Caleb swallowed, the temptation to close the  space between them nearly overwhelming.

“ _ Shatz _ ...” it came out  shaky , and (to Caleb’s  embarrassment ) a little pleading. 

Mollymauk pulled back again, pressing his forehead to  Caleb's as his expression softened to one of fondness.

“I’m just teasing darling, what do you want to talk about?”

“I... I was worried you may have changed your mind now that...” he trailed off and  Mollymauk chuckled

“Now that we’re sober? No Caleb, I meant what I said last  night” A flicker of worry crossed the Tieflings face, “unless... did you?”

“No!” 

Caleb blushed, that had come out much more desperate than he meant it to, but he couldn’t stand the idea that  Mollymauk might think he didn’t want this.  Mollymauk smiled again, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to Caleb’s  forehead .

“Okay, that settles that then” 

Caleb couldn’t help but smile, it sounded so simple when he put it like that. Could it really be that simple? He felt the flickering beginning of hope in his chest, maybe  it _ could _ be. 

“Do you want to tell the others? Or should we just wait and see how long it takes them to figure it out?” 

Caleb snickered, “that could be fun... I can just see Beauregard’s face when she figures it out” 

Mollymauk laughed at that, Caleb watched the other man’s face, loving the way the laughter seemed to light him up from the inside. When he was done, red eyes landed back on Caleb’s face and the Tiefling leaned in again. He stopped just short of Caleb’s  lips, breath soft on his skin. 

“I would  _ really _ like to kiss you now love” 

Caleb smiled, and closed the gap, capturing slightly chapped lavender lips with his own. 

Mollymauks hand tangled in Caleb's hair as the other hand pressed against the small of the humans back to pull him closer. Caleb felt the tentative press of a forked tongue against his lips, and he parted them willingly. Caleb gripped  Mollymauks shoulders, digging fingertips into soft skin as the kiss deepened, one of Molly’s legs slid between his and suddenly they were flush against each other. 

And oh, oh this was even better sober. 

He slid his hands up into the plum curls, gasping as  Mollymauks lips left his and began to trail down his neck. It was like sparks dancing across his skin, and he heard himself moan softly when fangs grazed the sensitive spot at the base of his neck.  Mollymauk purred against his skin, the hand that was on his back slid down to pull his leg over the Tieflings hip. Caleb had to bite his own lip to quiet the sound that slipped out when  Mollymauk bit down in earnest, sucking and licking at the spot. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Caleb knew he’d have to wear a scarf to hide that one, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care just then. 

Mollymauk cursed as a loud BANG sounded from the bedroom door, followed by Beauregards voice

“Hey! Caddy made breakfast, hurry up or we’re  gonna eat it all!” 

Caleb groaned in annoyance, but  Mollymauk just smirked, and started trailing openmouthed kissed down the human's chest, causing Caleb’s hands to slip out of his hair and onto the horns instead. 

“How badly do we need breakfast?” he whispered against Caleb’s navel, before slowly,  _ so slowly  _ making his way back up to steal another heated kiss.

Caleb was fairly sure he would skip every meal if it meant he could stay here, in this bed, with this man, forever. 

There was another loud series of bangs 

“CALEB. ARE YOU OKAY? DO YOU NEED ME TO PICK THE LOCK?”

Caleb sighed, pressing his forehead to Mollymauks 

“I am fine  _ Liebling _ , just getting ready, we will be out in a few minutes”

“Okay!! Good! I’ll come back if you’re not out ASAP”

They listened to her footsteps go down the hallway, and Caleb smiled apologetically at Mollymauk. 

“She really will pick the lock  _ Shatz _ ... we should go I think” The  Tiefling sighed dramatically, giving Caleb one more chaste kiss before untangling their legs and stretching. 

Mollymauk walked over to the dresser, pulling open the top drawer while Caleb stretched and drank half the bottle of water on the nightstand. Caleb raised an eyebrow as  Mollymauk walked over with a pile of clothes in his arms. He stopped, eyes traveling from Caleb's head, to his feet and back again. 

“Something wrong?” the ginger asked, smirking as the Tiefling laughed

“Just make sure you don’t take your shirt off today darling” he teased, walking over and dropping the clothes on the bed before pressing his finger lightly against the darkening hickey. Caleb kissed his cheek

“Only for you  _ Kätzchen”  _

Mollymauk purred in response, grabbing some of the clothes off the bed and handing them to the smirking man. 

“Get dressed before I push the dresser in front of the door and refuse to let you leave” 

“Don’t threaten me with a good time” Caleb responded as  Mollymauk headed for the bathroom.

\----

Two hours later, Caleb was seated at the kitchen table with his components and the finalized version of the enchantment. The components were  fairly straightforward , though expensive. The pendant itself had to be worth no less than 500 gold, and then there was the diamond dust worth 25 gold per amulet. The somatic properties were easy as well, he simply needed to keep a hand on the amulet being enchanted for the full duration of the spell. The verbal aspect had been tricky to figure out, as they were abjuration and not Caleb’s specialty, but he worked it out in the end. 

Caleb stared at the pendants his friends had chosen. While his was a standard eye shape, clearly made to look the exact same as all the others the police force would have, these were... something. In true Mighty Nein fashion, they had managed to customize their protective amulets. He picked up the one he knew was for Beauregard, a silver four-pointed star and he set to work. 

He had estimated an hour, but it ended up taking two before he felt the spell truly take hold. He smiled, hooked the pendant onto the deep blue leather cord she had gotten for it and set it off to the side. 

Okay, Caduceus next. The had managed to find a pendant shaped like a large beetle, which made Caleb smile. It took him an additional two hours to get this spell completed as well, and by the time he was done and had strung it on the dark teal leather cord, he was exhausted. He had known that these would be tiring to make, but he couldn’t help the frustration that welled up in him. 

He sat, glaring at the pile of amulets as if by staring sternly enough they would simply... enchant themselves, when he felt warm hands on his shoulders. He looked up to see  Mollymauk smiling down at  him and couldn’t help smiling back wearily.

“Come get some lunch darling, no one will touch your trinkets” 

He chuckled and nodded, letting the other man step back before he pushed up. He groaned as his legs protested having been seated for so long. Scooping up the two finished amulets, he followed  Mollymauk over to the living room where the others were setting up food. He set the amulets in front of Caduceus and Beauregard, smiling slightly.

“Those will take some time to attune to you, but I wouldn’t suggest taking them off anyway as that would defeat the purpose” 

Beauregard picked hers up and examined it “fucking sweet man”

“This is nice” Caduceus agreed, smiling warmly over at Caleb as he started braiding the cord into his long hair. 

Beauregard tied hers around her neck, keeping it high up near her collarbone so it wouldn’t get in the way during training. 

Caleb sat next to  Mollymauk on the couch, grabbing a paper plate and loading it up with roasted potatoes and a couple small sandwiches. Caduceus had outdone himself again, Caleb mused as he bit into one of the sandwiches. 

“It’s like  _ so _ super cool that you can make these now Caleb!” Jester called happily around a bite of  potato “you’re like, super smart” 

Caleb blushed, opening his mouth to disagree when he felt a warm hand on his thigh

“He  _ is _ isn’t he Jessie? Has Veth told you about the time he invented a  _ whole _ spell to bring her body back?”

Caleb looked over at the Tiefling, who winked cheekily while Veth launched into the story in the background.  Mollymauk leaned in and lowered his voice

“You need to stop downplaying how clever you are darling” he squeezed Caleb’s thigh gently “I won’t stop telling you until you believe it” 

Caleb felt his cheeks flame again, what in the name of all the Gods had he done to deserve this? They stared at each other,  Mollymauks expression softening even as Caleb fought the temptation to kiss him right there. 

“ Yo Obnoxious One, chill out before you give Caleb some kind of heart attack” called Beauregard from the other side of the room.

Both men jumped back, but  Mollymauk made it look much more graceful, dropping into a lounging position as if he had meant to all along. Caleb shot a glare at Beauregard, who rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue in response, before going back to his lunch. 

The rest of the meal passed calmly (for the Mighty Nein anyway) and once everyone was done Caleb made his way back to the table. He picked up Fjords charm, an anchor in burnished silver, and set to work. He was nearly done when there was a CRASH that broke his concentration and made him jump. 

“Fuck!” “shit!” “sorry!!”

Caleb looked up to see Jester, Veth and Beau in the living room with a toppled over armchair and blankets tied like capes around their necks. 

He sighed “seriously? That was my last high-level spell for the day” 

Beauregard looked  sheepish; her ears red with embarrassment. Jester was chewing her bottom lip and Veth look horrified. The halfling woman rushed over, grabbing Caleb’s hand and looking up apologetically

“I’m sorry Cay, we didn’t mean to distract you” 

He felt his shoulders droop, and he smiled softly at her “I know  _ Liebling _ ... but now I have done one less than I could have today” he squeezed her hand “I am not mad, I promise” 

Veth chewed her lip for a moment before nodding and heading back over to the girls. Caleb stood and stretched, he would need to find a better spot to do these tomorrow... maybe just the floor of his and  Mollymauks room? That might work... and there was a lock on that door, he could even silence the room to block out ambient sounds from his crazy family... 

Nodding to himself, he gathered up the materials and walked back to the room, laying everything out on top of the dresser. There was  definitely enough room in here, this would work better. He sighed, pulling his new history book out of his bag and heading back out to the living room. He got settled in the armchair closest to the fireplace and started to read. 

If he couldn’t get more work done today, he would spend the time enjoying his gift. 

Part Two

Molly

Molly loved the  snow; it was soft and sparkly, and it made the whole world look like it was celebrating. 

But  _ damn _ was it ever fucking slippery. 

He couldn’t count the number of time’s he had landed on his ass in the last hour of sparring with Fjord. Caleb was inside, working on the anti-scrying charms for everyone, so Molly had chased Fjord outside after lunch  in an attempt to stop himself from distracting the wizard. 

He was  definitely taking a bath tonight... but what was the point of a bath without a bath bomb? Or Epsom salts... or even just scented oil? 

He stood again, groaning and rubbing his hip.

“Okay, I surrender, you win you awful pirate” he smirked over at Fjord who laughed and rolled his eyes

“You might have better luck if you had more practical boots there Mols”

Molly looked down at his boots, knee high black leather with  4-inch platforms, and then back up at the half-orc across from him.

“These are the most practical boots I  own; they don’t even have a  stiletto ”

“He’s not kidding” said  Yasha from a few feet away “you should see the ones he  _ tried _ to pack” 

Fjord ran a large hand down his face in exasperation

“Next time we’re in town, get Jester or Beau to help you find something you could actually run out here in okay? I don’t expect an attack, but better safe than sorry”

“Aye  aye Captain!” Molly called, snapped a salute and a wink.

The sudden crash from inside had all three of them whipping around to look in the big window, Jester, Beau and Veth had been up to something silly as usual and it looked like they had knocked over a chair. Molly tilted his head to follow as Veth ran over to the kitchen, Caleb looked frustrated and tired. The noise must have  interrupted his spell... 

Yasha hummed softly from behind him, he turned and looked at her curiously

“Maybe we move that shopping trip up?” 

Molly brightened, turning to look back and seeing Caleb take the pile of work back towards the bedrooms. 

He walked in, dusting off his coat on the mat before heading over to Jester.

“Jessie! Fjord beat me up and now I’m desperate for bath products so I can sooth my poor aching bones” 

She brightened up immediately, clapping

“Shopping trip!!” She looked to Beau and Veth questioningly, Beau shook her head

“I’m  gonna skip this one, I want to try and get in touch with Dairon” 

Veth shrugged “sure, let’s go buy bath stuff!” 

They all started getting ready, the girls were pulling on their coats and gloves when Molly saw Caleb re-enter the room. He watched the man curl up in an armchair and pull out the history book Molly had bought  him and smiled. He walked over, grabbing a blanket on the way. Caleb looked up as he approached and smiled that warm little smile that made Molly’s heart flip around in his chest.

“Hallo  _ Shatz _ , did you have a good time outside?” 

Molly sighed dramatically “Fjord was an absolute beast, and I’m going to need you to go defend my  honour m’kay?” 

Caleb chuckled “I don’t think that would end well for anyone” he took in Molly’s outerwear curiously “are you going out?”

“Just to town for a bit, the girls and I are getting some bath stuff so I can sooth my poor aching muscles” that earned him another chuckle 

“Have fun, but be careful okay? I should have started with your charm...” Caleb trailed off, brow  furrowed, and Molly felt his heart melt just a bit. Gods this man was too sweet.

He leaned down and dropped a quick kiss to the top of Caleb’s head before heading back towards the door

“We’ll be careful, don’t worry! See you in a few hours!” 

\----

The drive to town was way more fun than the drive to the cabin had been. It was just under two hours one way, but the little shopping center was right on the edge of town. They beelined it for a shop that specialized in bath products, walking in made Jester and Molly both sneeze at first with all the smells. It only took Molly 10 minutes to have a little basket full of treats. He found face masks, leave in conditioner, and a body butter that smelled like cinnamon and vanilla with fine gold glitter mixed into it. He was eying the line of scented oils when Jester bounced over. She plucked a bottle labeled “sweet almond” and handed it to him

“Momma  _ swears _ by this for her horns! She says it’s the absolute  _ best _ and it’s like totally all natural too” 

“If it’s good enough for The Ruby of the Sea, it’s good enough for me!” Molly laughed, dropped the bottle into his basket. 

Next to the oils was a display of massage bars... Molly paused, looking at one that boasted cinnamon and peppermint oil for sore muscles. He thought of the way Caleb had winced after getting up earlier that day, smiling at the image of Caleb laid out on his stomach, his pale back bared... 

He added the bar to his basket, along with one of the little reusable metal cases. 

Jester linked their arms  then and tugged him over to the bath bombs. He followed happily, awed by the full wall of  colourful treats. He gravitated towards the glitter filled ones of course... but it all came down to smell in the end. He found one that was a rich magenta with gold glitter and a cinnamon stick on top. It smelled divine, cinnamon and bergamot, and he grabbed three. Another boasted sleep-aiding  properties and was made with lavender and chamomile, the whole bomb wrapped in muslin fabric to keep the flowers from clogging the drain. 

He found one that was pure gold on the outside, with purple salt on top to make it look like a geode. Molly was beginning to worry about his love of bergamot... but he grabbed it anyway. He laughed as Jester handed him a pink and purple one that smelled like jasmine, tossing it in the basket too. 

By the time they left an hour later; he, Jester and Veth had several bags between them.  Yasha had grabbed a few toiletries, but none of the “fun stuff” (as Jester put it). 

It was getting close to dinner now, so they grabbed some food court delicacies and settled in to eat and decide where to head next. Molly pulled out his phone, turning his back to the girls and snapping a few selfies of them all together.

** Molly ** : darling! Miss me yet? 😘

** Molly ** : <image attached>

He took a few bites of his food, eying his cellphone where it was sitting next to him. He jumped when it buzzed, an  irresistible grin spreading across is face

** Caleb ** : How could I not? I am glad you’re having fun though Shatz 

** Caleb ** : There are a lot of bags there...

Molly laughed, he could see the worry on Caleb's face now, sitting by the fire worried that he had bought up the whole store... not that he would ever try to stop Molly shopping, that was impossible.

** Molly ** : they  arn’t all mine sweetness, don’t worry! 

He paused... worrying his bottom lip before taking a breath and sending the next text

** Molly ** : got a few things 2 share  tho 😉

** Caleb ** : Show me when you get back?

Molly smiled again, the sound of his  friend's conversation just buzz now

** Molly ** : of course! 

** Caleb ** : Hurry home, I will be waiting

Molly felt that newly familiar drop of heat deep in his core. He could  _ hear _ the lowered tone of that accented voice as if Caleb were whispering in his ear.

Maybe he didn’t need to shop anymore today?? 

“- ly , MOLLY?  Hellloooo ?” a blue hand waved in front of his face and he jumped, blinking as he looked around. The girls were all eying him, Jester looking concerned, Veth suspicious and  Yasha curious. 

He laughed, waving his hand dismissively “So sorry ladies! I got a bit distracted there”

Jester wiggled her eyebrows comically “is there someone  _ special _ on the other end of those texts Molly? Cause you were practically  _ drooling”  _

Molly winked, ignoring the flash of  embarrassment

“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell darling!” he popped the last bite of his dinner into his mouth “so where are we headed next?” 

They ended up deciding to crawl through a few clothing stores to see if there was anything good on sale. Jester found a few (entirely seasonally inappropriate) dresses at the first place and talked Molly into a black velvet sleeveless top with a deep V in the front and back. Truthfully, it didn’t take much convincing. In the second shop they managed to find a pair of ankle high leather boots for Molly, they were still a  platform but they had actual tread and were made for winter. 

They were in the third shop when things took a turn. Molly was standing in front of a full body mirror, debating on a cream coloured over-sized cardigan with large wooden buttons and leather elbow patches when he heard it... the telltale sound of people talking  _ about _ someone else. He looked behind himself in the mirror to see a group of three human girls, giving him dirty looks and whispering. 

Jester walked out and cooed “oh Molly that’s like  _ so cute _ !” 

He forced a smile “isn’t it darling?” 

The muttering was louder now, and Molly distinctly caught a disgusted “ugh... fucking devil-spawn, what are they even  _ doing _ here” 

He flinched as Jesters hand tightened on his arm, he saw her eyes in the mirror looking between him and the girls. She was chewing her lip, looking uncomfortable. 

“Got a  problem ladies ?” came  Yasha’s voice from just outside the changing area as she stepped between them and the Tieflings with her arms crossed. One of the girls yelped, and he heard them make excuses and scurry away. 

“I think we should go” he said, hating how strained his voice sounded. Jester caught his eye in the mirror again pulled him in for a hug

“Get the sweater Molly, it looks great on you” she stepped away and looked at him full on now “and we can’t let people like  _ that _ ruin our fun”

He smiled for real now, gave her one last hug before taking off the sweater and heading for the cash. 

They did end up heading out, but only because they had a two-hour drive ahead of them. 

\----

Molly threw the cabin door open, striding into the main room and calling out hellos to whoever was there. His eyes caught on Caleb's and he felt the smirk grow. A few hours away and all he wanted to do was steal off to their room for a proper hello... hells, any room with a door would work. 

“Did you all miss us horribly?” 

“As  _ if,  _ it was finally peaceful for once!” Beau called from where she was sprawled out on the couch. 

He flipped her off, then blew a kiss 

“I’m going to go put this stuff away, and then I am taking a  _ bath _ so enter the bathroom at your own risk” 

Beau made retching noises as he walked over to the bedroom. He unpacked all the purchases, setting the boots down at the end of the bed and laying the top and cardigan on the bed. He smiled down at the velvet, that was going to be  _ perfect _ for shows, just perfect. He frowned a little at the cardigan... he still liked it a lot, but it was tainted by the bigots. He had lived in  Zadash for so long now, it was a big enough city that the worst he usually got was the dirty looks. 

In  Xhorhas he hadn’t had these problems, no one looked twice at a Tiefling there. Well, people looked twice at  _ him _ , because he was lavender, and gorgeous... and his clothing didn’t really lend themselves to blending in. But the Empire was different, when he and  Yasha had followed Gus here it had been a total culture shock. 

“It looks like a  successful day hm?” 

He jumped, he hadn’t even heard Caleb come in, and now the human was at his elbow and looking at him with concern

“ _ Kätzchen _ _... _ Are you alright?” 

Molly sighed, of course Caleb would notice. He turned, draping his arms over the human's shoulders and resting a lavender forehead against the pale one. Enjoying how easily Caleb’s arms slid around his waist, warm and soft.

“I’m okay love, just ran into some... less than kind people while out today” 

Caleb hummed in concern “anything we need to worry about long term?”

“No  no , just small-minded bigotry, it happens more in these small towns”

Caleb moved back just enough to press his lips to Molly’s forehead, and Molly felt himself relax a bit

“I know you will have heard this a thousand times, but ignore them” blue eyes stared deep into Molly’s determined and full of conviction “you are worth more than all of them put together” 

Molly smiled, his heart fluttering in his chest and Caleb pulled away, taking his hands and tugging him towards the bed.

“Show me your haul, it looked like you bought out the whole shop in your photo” 

Molly laughed and  lifted up the cardigan first (it suddenly seemed just as cute as it had when he first saw it). He tugged off the sweater he had worn out shopping, making sure to go just a little slower than normal when he saw Caleb’s eyes trail up his chest. He pulled on the cardigan, doing up the buttons and turning with a flourish.

“Ta dah!” 

Caleb smiled at him, chuckling 

“That looks very sweet on you, much more wholesome than I am used to” 

Molly smirked, stalking forward and taking the humans hands to tug him close, lowering his voice to a whisper

“Not so wholesome if I plan to wear it and nothing else” 

Caleb’s eyes widened and Molly felt the hands twitch in his, and he let go, prancing back to the bed and shedding the cardigan. He pulled on the velvet shirt, enjoying the feeling of eyes on his back the whole time. He spun back around, striking a pose and winking at the man across from him. 

Caleb walked forward, resting his  hands on velvet covered shoulders before leaning in and stealing a rough kiss. Molly gasped in surprise, hands landing on the bed as he nearly tumbled back. Caleb’s hands slid down the front of the new shirt, around  Molly's waist and up his back beneath the soft fabric. 

Molly whined as, just as quickly as he had moved in, Caleb back away. The human was smirking at him now and Molly felt a laugh bubble up through the shock

“Mister Caleb!”

“Two can play that game Mister Mollymauk”

“Well, I definitely know that now” he laughed again, this man was too much. 

Molly tugged the shirt off, tossing it onto the bed with the cardigan before grabbing the two bags of bath supplies. He laid the bath bombs out on the tissue paper they came with, the face masks next, put the massage bar down next to them and then added the little bottle of oil. 

Caleb reached over an picked up one of the purple cinnamon bombs, giving it a sniff and making an appreciative noise. 

“That was one of my favourites” Molly smiled

“Hence buying three?” Caleb teased, placing the bomb carefully back down and eying the bar and oil “I understand the bath bombs and face masks... but what are these used for?” 

He looked so genuinely curious; Molly felt his expression soften. He picked up the massage bar in its little tin and opened it up, holding it out so Caleb could see.

“This one is a massage bar, it melts with body heat” he paused “this one is supposed to be for sore muscles, but I’ve used other ones before” he set it back down and picked up the oil “sweet almond oil, Jester’s mom swears by it for our horns... but it’s nice for skin too” 

Caleb  nodded; he was wearing the same expression he wore when he was studying new subjects at school... it was adorable. 

Molly loved being able to teach his  favourite genius new things, even if it was just skin care. 

But then... Molly smirked, leaning in and kissing Caleb’s cheek. 

“Now love, I wasn’t kidding about that bath” he ran a hand lightly down the other  mans back “so unless you plan to join me...” 

He trailed off, watching the dark blush spread across Caleb’s cheeks as the images Molly knew would be whirling around that clever brain played out. 

“That-that is  _ very _ tempting  _ Kätzchen _ , but perhaps we should save that particular ah... activity for when we are not in a small space with all our very nosy friends?”

Molly blinked. He had expected stuttering (so cute) and refusal... not a rain check. 

Great, now  _ he _ was going to be thinking about that for the rest of the night. 

He sighed dramatically, trying to look put out “well I  _ guess _ that makes sense” 

He leaned away, stretching slightly before grabbing one of the magenta bath bombs and a face mask. He gave Caleb one more kiss on the cheek and a smile before he grabbed a towel and headed for the bathroom. 

\----

An hour later, he was standing in front of the mirror with a towel around his waist, and the little jar of oil in hand. He had to give it to the Ruby, she really knew her horn care. His looked fantastic, almost as good as they had after the spa. He put the bottle down, tilting his head back and forth to admire the faint sparkle that the glitter from the bath bomb had left on his skin. 

He heard the faint noise of the doorknob turning and watched in the mirror as Caleb walked in. He was carrying his books and looking wiped out. Molly frowned slightly; he had figured the spells to make the amulets would be tough... but he looked so tired. Caleb looked up as he shut the door, blue eyes meeting red in the mirror. Molly watched as those  pretty blue eyes flicked, ever so quickly, from his face to this waist and back. 

That could be fun... but... he looked so tired. 

Molly pulled out some pajama pants, tugging them on without removing the towel and then grabbing a second pair. He turned, walked over to Caleb with a smile and took the books, handing Caleb the pants instead. He set them lightly on the dresser, next to the spell components. When he turned next, he was pleased to see that the other man had changed. 

“Hello darling” Molly said softly, taking the warm hands in his “time to get some sleep yeah?”

He was rewarded with a sleepy smile and a nod. Keeping one hand tangled with Caleb's, he led the way to the bed. They curled up under the sheets, Molly on his back with Caleb’s head rested on his chest. He tilted his head, pressing his nose into the auburn hair with a happy sigh. 

“Goodnight  _ Shatz”  _ Caleb muttered, and Molly smiled 

“Goodnight love”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update! It's a shopping episode guys! And magic! I based the amulet creation on the "Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location" which is what (as far as I can tell) is what Caleb has in canon. I based the price on the description in the DMG for 5E, where it says it should cost 500gold. It's... homebrew I guess??? 
> 
> Real talk: I'm going away this weekend, so there won't be another update until next week!!! I'll be writing as much as I'm able (family time), and I have one chapter preeeetttyyy much ready to go 💖
> 
> Bath bombs!  
> https://uk.lush.com/products/phoenix-rising  
> https://www.lush.ca/en/bath/bath-bombs/deep-sleep/9999909208.html  
> https://www.lush.ca/en/bath/bath-bombs/geode/9999909147.html  
> https://www.lush.ca/en/bath/bath-bombs/sex-bomb/9999900157.html


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic! Fluff! Snowstorms!

Part One

Caleb

The first thing that Caleb did the next morning (after spending as much time as possible in bed before it would be suspicious), was have breakfast with the family. While they were all arguing and laughing,  Mollymauks tail wound around Caleb's ankle under the table, making him smile. He took a sip of coffee, staring idly out the window at the snow that was starting to fall, when he felt eyes on him. Looking up, he caught Beauregard’s lighter blue eyes on him, looking contemplative. 

“Something on my face Beauregard?” he smirked

She chuckled, shaking her head “get some new material man”

“Maybe once that one stops working” she tossed a blueberry at him and he laughed, stopping when he saw the way her expression went serious again.

“Has something happened?” he asked, the buzz of worry starting in his chest

She sighed “I got in touch with  Dairon yesterday, just to check in and  shit right?” her expression soured “they’ve been monitoring the apartment, just in case” 

The buzz in his chest spread to his brain, worry setting in properly now

“and?”

“And there have been... people, weird people. Never the same person twice but they just sit on the bench by the bus stop and watch, all day, every day”

“ _ Scheiße _ ” he muttered, dropping his head into his hands. 

Molly’s tail tightened around his ankle, a small point of comfort while fought back the panic.

“Well, at least that means they probably don’t know we’re here” said Fjord reasonably “that’s a good thing”

That was true... 

“I need to get to work” Caleb said simply, standing and turning towards the bedrooms, trying not to feel too disappointed when he felt the pressure around his ankle disappear. He needed to make the amulets.

Once he got himself set up on the floor of the bedroom, he pulled  Mollymauk’s charm over and smiled down at it. It was a large sun with a crescent moon on the front of it, it was nearly the size of Caleb’s palm and made of the same burnished silver as the others. It was so perfectly suited to  Mollymauk , Caleb wondered where the others had even found such a thing. 

It took Caleb 3 hours to get the enchantment to stick. By the time it was done, his mouth was dry from repeating the verbal portion of the spell and his hand was cramped from holding onto the amulet the whole time. He sighed, kissed the face of the charm and threaded the deep red leather cord through it before setting it aside. 

He made Veth’s next, she had chosen a heart for her charm, and Caleb smiled down at it. A perfect choice, as far as he was concerned. This one only took two hours, and he was grateful for it... he was already feeling the exertion of the high-level magic and he still had one more to finish. No interruptions this time, he had locked the bedroom and bathroom doors. He threaded it onto the pretty yellow leather cord, smiling at the button that was already tied to the end.

He picked Fjords back up, glaring at it 

“this thing better  work this time...” he grumbled under his breath. He began casting, feeling the drain of the spell begin, electricity in his veins. It took another three hours. 

Hands shaking, he threaded it onto the sea blue leather cord and set it aside with the other two. He was completely wiped out. He stood, unlocking the two doors, and slowly putting his books and components back on the dresser. He picked up the three new- made amulets and headed out to the living room. The smell of cooking hit  him, and he felt his stomach contract painfully, he hadn’t stopped to eat lunch today, and he’d only eaten half his breakfast. 

Mollymauk looked over as he walked in and Caleb smiled at how the Tieflings ears perked up, tail curling happily at the same time. Caleb walked over to him, pulling out the amulet and holding it out to the other man.

“ Ohhh it’s done?” 

Caleb nodded, looking around and waving over Fjord and Veth. He handed over the amulets with a tired smile, both of his friends tying the cords into secure necklaces.  Mollymauk handed his back to Caleb, smiled and spun on the spot, lifting his curls up to expose the back of his neck. Caleb chuckled, pulled the ends of the of the cord to the back and tied a nice tight knot. The  Tiefling turned back to face him with a wink 

“Thanks darling”

Caleb rolled his eyes and looked over towards the kitchen as Caduceus called out that dinner was ready. He and  Yasha carried the bowls and the food over to the kitchen table, setting everything in the middle. Everyone loaded their bowls up with the hearty stew that Caduceus had made, Veth fussing and making sure that Caleb took more than he normally would and buttering no less than three thick slices of homemade bread for him as well.  Caleb smiled indulgently, too tired to argue and too hungry to mind it, taking the glass of wine that she handed him next with a quiet word of thanks. 

The food was delicious as usual, and the table was unusually quiet while everyone ate. 

“So” Beau spoke up “since  _ some _ of us went to town and didn’t buy  _ any actual groceries”  _ she eyed Molly, Jester and Veth (not  Yasha though, Caleb noted with a small smirk) “Caddy, Fjord and I are going to go tomorrow, now that we have our amulets”

“Any requests?” Fjord asked, looking around the table, there were some shrugs a few mumbled noes, he shrugged.

Caleb looked out the window at the quickly darkening sky (Gods he was tired ) and frowned slightly. 

“Are you sure you should go tomorrow? The snow doesn’t look like it’s going to let up any time soon” 

“Better to get out in front of it” Beau responded with a shrug “besides, worse comes to worst, we’ll just bunk down in the van for the night and push through when it calms down” 

“Just be sure to bring car chargers then...” Caleb said, worried

Beau smirked at him “yeah okay dad, we’ll be extra careful” 

Caleb flipped her off with a smile, she was right he supposed. He could never help but worry though, especially these days... 

“Any more news from  Dairon ?” he asked softly, not entirely sure he wanted to know

She shook her head “same as earlier” 

He sighed. It was worrisome, they would  _ have _ to go back to the apartment at some point... Classes started up right after the New Dawn celebration, and even if they decided to hide out somewhere else in  Zadash they would need their stuff. He frowned, taking a sip of his wine and staring back out the window as the conversation picked up around him. Caduceus and Jester had made macaroons for dessert, and everyone was comfortably full now. He couldn’t bring himself to enjoy it though, the faint buzz of anxiety was playing in the back of his head again. The wine, surprisingly, wasn’t helping. 

He had  Yasha’s amulet left to do first thing tomorrow, and then he wanted to properly transcribe the spell into his book. He would probably feel better once everyone was protected, but he still wanted to do  _ more _ . There had to be something else he could do to make things at least close to normal again. 

Sip, glare at the snow, sigh. 

The sun was down for real now, the cabin lit by the old-fashioned bulbs and the roaring fire. They had discovered the first night that there was no central heating, which really  _ shouldn’t _ have been a surprise, and which meant that if the fire went out it got  _ cold _ fast. Caleb didn’t like to look at the fire for too long, but he  definitely appreciated the comfortable heat it radiated. Someone, probably Veth, had refilled his wine while he wasn’t looking. He sat, sipping slowly and letting the conversation wash over him while his tired mind spun through everything that could go wrong before  Ikithon and the others were caught. 

“Did the snow do something to offend you dear?”

He jumped slightly at  Mollymauks quiet question in his ear, turning to smile awkwardly at the other man.

“Ah, no, I’m sorry I was just...” he trailed off 

“Lost in thought?”  Mollymauk offered, Caleb smiled again and nodded 

“Yes, essentially” he sighed now, taking a sip of wine to gather his thoughts “I... find I can’t help but worry again now that I am almost done with the amulets”

“No distractions”  Yasha said softly from across the table, Caleb looked up and nodded. She smiled ruefully “I get that”

Caleb wanted to ask what she needed distraction from but knew that she would say if she wanted to, so he just nodded again gratefully. 

“Want us to look for some books in town tomorrow?” Fjord asked kindly, smiling at him. Caleb couldn’t help but smile back.

“Well... don’t go out of your way” he paused, cheeks heating slightly “but... if you should happen upon something  interesting, I wouldn’t say no” 

Fjord smiled brighter, nodding. 

Caleb forced himself to stay up another 47 minutes before finally standing and saying goodnight to everyone, citing exhaustion and more high-level magic that needed to be done the next day.  Mollymauk , Jester, Beau and Veth had started a game of poker with macaroons as chips while Caduceus and Fjord had started washing up. Everyone called their goodnights,  Mollymauks eyes lingering just a touch longer as he smiled fondly up at Caleb. 

The wizard yawned as he walked back to the bedrooms. It didn’t take him long to go through his nightly routine, get into his pajamas and curl up under the thick comforter. He was extremely thankful that the large fireplace seemed to warm the whole cabin, and that the rental owner had been kind enough to leave winter-worthy bedding. He knew that he would  definitely be much more comfortable once a certain purple  Tiefling stumbled into bed, but he was far too tired to wait up. 

\----

Caleb woke again, the third day in a row, warm and comfortable.  Mollymauk had come in a few hours after Caleb had gone to bed, snuggling under the covers and pressing a cotton soft kiss to his forehead. He sighed happily, surrounded by tattooed arms and the lingering smell of jasmine and wine. He hated the idea of getting up... but it was already 8:36 and he had a lot of work to do. The others would be leaving soon too, and he wanted to see them off. He started to shift as gently as he could, trying to disentangle himself without waking the snoozing Tiefling. 

“Where  d’you think you’re  goin ’?” mumbled  Mollymauk into Caleb’s hair, trying to pull him back “ ‘is too early” 

Caleb couldn’t fight the affectionate smile that spread across his face, he pulled away again while  Mollymauk grumbled at him. Dropping a kiss into the sleep-mussed curls before he sat up all the way and stretched. 

“I need to make  Yasha’s amulet still, and then I need to transcribe the spell in case we need it again” He kept his voice soft, running a hand through the plum curls as he spoke “you go back to sleep  _ Kätzchen _ , I won’t be far” 

There was a sigh, and another softer mumble that Caleb couldn’t quite make out. As he climbed out of bed, the other man pulled Caleb’s pillow towards himself and curled up around it. Caleb was  fairly certain this man would be the death of him, and that he wouldn’t complain about it. 

He smiled, quietly pulling on a hoodie and grabbing his spell components. With half the group gone he wasn’t too worried about working in the kitchen again. He called quiet hellos to the others as he set his work on a counter and grabbed a cup of coffee. No magic before coffee. 

“You sure there’s nothing you need while we’re in town? This is probably the last time we’ll go before we head home” Beau asked, leaning against the counter next to him, he nodded 

“I’m sure” he frowned into his mug “I’m more concerned with what we’re going to do about the apartment” 

She sighed, leaning back on her elbows and letting her head drop backwards “yeah, that’s something I’m worried about too...  Dairon has some people at the Soul looking into it but... there’s not much they can do unless they can prove all these different people are actually the  _ same _ three people”

“Two” Caleb corrected automatically, taking a sip of his coffee

“Two?” she looked at him, confused “Astrid, Wulf, and Iky” 

“ _ He _ will send Astrid and Wulf to do the dirty work” Caleb glowered at a crack in the tiled backsplash “he won’t risk himself if he doesn’t absolutely have to” 

She scoffed “of course not, fucking asshole” 

Caleb nodded, the buzz of anxiety was back in his head and he sighed, downing the rest of his coffee and wincing at the way it burned his throat. Time to get to work. 

He bid the others a quiet goodbye, Caduceus, Fjord, Beau and Jester (who had decided to go along at the last minute) all piled into the van and drove off into the falling snow. Caleb had taken a moment to stare worriedly at the gentle snowfall, his anxiety finding yet another thing to obsess over. Turning with a nod, he strode back to the kitchen and spread out his work. 

It took him two hours of solid focus to get the enchantment to stick to the finely carved silver rose. When he finally looked up, he jumped, shocked to see a smiling lavender face across from him.  Mollymauk was leaning on one elbow, cheek rested in his palm and the other hand curled loosely around a lightly steaming mug. The smile on his face was fond, eyes half closed and warm. 

“Hallo Mollymauk” Caleb said, smiling softly back and resisting the urge to reach out and place a hand on the other mans wrist. 

“Goodmorning darling” the answer was a purr, still warm with sleep.

“How long have you been sitting there?” 

Mollymauk shrugged “ dunno , maybe... half an hour- ish ?” 

Caleb chuckled, shaking his head “and you were just... sitting there watching me?” 

“Your eyes light up when you do magic, did you know?” Caleb raised an eyebrow with a curious smile “like, they literally  _ glow _ , there’s these... little sparks of funny colours” 

Caleb nodded now “I never thought much of it, but people have mentioned it once or twice... in  passing” he paused, pondering “is it that  noticeable ?” 

Mollymauk laughed, nodding “next time I’ll film it and show you, it’s definitely noticeable” he sat up, stretching and taking a sip of his coffee “breakfast?” 

They made a quick breakfast of bacon on eggs with toast, and Caleb was struck by how familiar this had all become for him. The quietly domestic moments, making food or just relaxing on the couch... hells, he had even begun to enjoy grocery shopping before all the stalking started. Veth and  Yasha joined them at the table, and Caleb couldn’t fight the smile when he handed over the amulet and watched the larger woman weave it into one of her many braids.

Caleb settled himself at the small writing desk in the living room, leaving the kitchen table free for Veth to disassemble and clean her crossbow. He saw  Mollymauk and  Yasha head for the couches as he set up the expensive inks and  paper he would need to transcribe the spell properly. He set to work. 

Part Two

Molly

Molly sighed, watching the snow through the large window that looked out onto the lake. It had picked up since last night, he was sure of that. He watched Caleb write for a while, wishing he could draw like Jester so he could capture the image. The human was silhouetted against the faint winter sun, with the lake and the falling snow framing him. He had an expression that Molly loved on his face, his  concentrating expression ... serious, but not frowning, it was softer. 

He found himself fidgeting absently with the new amulet around his neck. He had made sure to ask the girls to get a long enough cord that it would hang almost at his sternum, since that’s where he liked most of his necklaces to sit. He had never had something that he wore all the time, it was going to take some getting used to. The metal was warm in his fingers as he traced the pad of his thumb over the embossed moon and little stars. He felt loved, thinking of how much thought they had put into his little piece of protection... and how much time and energy his Caleb had put into it after. 

He smiled over at  Yasha , where she sat on the couch fiddling with her harp, she smiled back at him. He could  _ just _ see the silver rose tucked in among the other charms braided into her hair. He  smirked; he had been meaning to talk to her...

“So...” he started, going for casual as he inspected the nails on one hand “you and the Unpleasant One?” 

She jumped slightly before looking down and flushing lightly pink

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you  about that...” 

“How long?” 

She sighed “we’re coming up on six months” 

Molly laughed, of course they were. 

“Is  _ that _ why she kept bringing her gym buddies over to the bar? Was she trying to distract me so you two could go be all sappy?” 

Yasha smiled awkwardly “uh... yeah I think so. We weren’t exactly hiding it... not after the first month, but it was just...”

“Easier?” Molly supplied, smirking to himself 

She nodded again “yes, that’s exactly it...” 

He watched in amusement as she eyed him suspiciously, he just smiled and hopped up off the armchair. He wandered over to his room, digging through his toiletries to pull out his little bag of nail polish. He walked back to the living room, laid down on his stomach on the rug, dumped the bag out and started trying to decide what  colour to do. He settled on a pretty sapphire blue, with a metallic silver for accents. 

An hour later his nails were done and drying, and he was bored. Yasha had started reading her language of flowers book about twenty minutes before, Caleb looked like he was still working and Veth... well, he would go annoy her, but she was cleaning weapons and it seemed like a bad idea. 

He sighed, rolling onto his back with his tail swishing lazily as he stared into the wooden ceiling. Maybe he could go for a walk? He turned towards the window again and frowned, the snow was falling  _ much _ faster and thicker now... it was turning into a real storm. 

** Molly: ** Jessie! the snow looks bad, u guys almost done?

** Jester ** ** 💙 ** : it took 2 long 2 get here! We just started  shoppin ** 😰 **

** Jester ** ** 💙 ** : Fjord thinks we might get stuck!!!

Molly  frowned; he had been worried about that.

** Molly ** : just  b careful! 

** Jester ** ** 💙 ** : we will! ** 😙💜💜💙💙  **

He sighed and looked over at Caleb to see the other man standing and stretching his pale arms up high above his head. 

“Jester says they only just started  shopping; Fjord thinks they might get stuck” 

Caleb  turned; brows furrowed “that’s not good...” 

Molly shrugged in a ‘what can you do’ kind of way, tapping one nail and finding it dry. Caleb walked over, Molly watching him out of the corner of his eye. The human sat down across the pile of nail polish from him, cross legged and leaning back on his hands. Molly was  _ very _ tempted to crawl into his lap... for no other reason than to be close. But Veth was right there, and they hadn’t told anyone yet... so instead he sat up and wrapped his tail around Caleb’s ankle. 

He caught Caleb looking briefly at the tail before the blue eyes met Molly’s and the human smiled warmly at him. Maybe he could think of some excuse to get him away... 

“Would you like to go for a walk  Mollymauk ?” 

He jumped slightly, then smiled brightly at the man across from him (“you absolute genius” he thought affectionately) 

“Well certainly Mister Caleb, I was actually just thinking about that” 

“There’s a  _ literal _ snowstorm going on outside” Veth’s voice called from the kitchen “why on earth would you go out in this?” 

They shrugged in unison as Caleb responded “we won’t go far  _ Liebling _ , I’d just like to get some fresh air” 

She rolled her eyes but went back to what she had been working on. The men got up, heading for their room to change and both trying, like children given permission to go play, to control the speed at which they walked. They got to the room, both slipping out of pajama pants and into their warmest actual pants. Molly tried  _ very _ hard to look at the wall while they changed, struck with a sudden and unfamiliar shyness. Within a few minutes they were out in the whirling snow. 

Molly slid his hand into Caleb's as soon as the door closed behind them, pressing in close and smiling over his scarf. Caleb smiled back, pulling his own scarf down with his free hand to press a warm kiss to Molly’s temple. They walked in silence for a few minutes, out of sight of the cabin's windows, stopping in a small circle of trees that helped to block the wind. Caleb turned and pulled Molly into an embrace, warm arms circling the Tieflings waist while Molly rested his arms on the humans’ shoulders. Caleb pressed his forehead to Molly’s in now familiar, comfortable gesture. Molly was usually about a few inches shorter than the other man, but his boots made up for it. 

“I have wanted to do this all morning” Caleb said, breath a warm puff as he pulled down his scarf, sending a happy shiver down Molly’s spine when the warm blue eyes held his.

“Oh?” Molly teased, brushing his nose against  Caleb's “and what exactly are you talking about darling?”

Caleb smiled and leaned  in to kiss Molly, soft and slow. Molly sighed into the kiss, feeling himself sag against the wizard. The kiss ended too quickly for Molly’s liking, as usual. They stood silent, foreheads together and breath mingling in little puffs in the cold air around them. Molly’s tucked a stray bit of hair back behind Caleb’s ear, gently tugging his hat back into place with an affectionate chuckle. 

“Always so disheveled, what am I going to do with you?”

Caleb smiled back “anything you like  _ Shatz _ , you know I’ve never been able to say no to you” 

“ hmmmm ...” Molly paused, pretending to think “and if I wanted to tell the others about us?” 

Caleb, to Molly’s surprise, shrugged “that’s fine by me, only...” he raised an eyebrow “what would you be telling them?”

That caught the Tiefling by surprise for a moment... though, he supposed, they really hadn’t discussed that  specifically yet. They had agreed to  _ this, _ stolen kisses and wandering hands in hidden places... but...

“What would you  _ want  _ to tell them?” he heard himself ask, biting his lip  worriedly

“I was going to ask you the same thing” Molly looked back up, searching the blue eyes and finding... oh. Caleb was nervous. The realization that  _ he _ thought  _ Molly _ only wanted this part hit him, and Molly could have laughed. Instead, he pressed up against the too-sweet man, lips just a breath away

“I want to tell  _ everyone _ that I’m yours, and you’re  _ mine”  _

Molly felt the smile that graced  Caleb's face as the man responded softly “yes, I think that would work for me as well” 

And Molly kissed him. Soundly, passionately, trying to show all the feelings he didn’t have the words for through the kiss. A thrill ran through his chest when Caleb kissed back, hands tight on Molly’s waist under his coat. 

Molly couldn’t have told how long the kiss went on, but he knew his head was spinning with it when they finally broke apart, neither willing to move farther away than  absolutely necessary . Molly slid his arms around Calebs neck, leaning into the other  mans chest and feeling a slight jolt as Caleb’s back hit a tree behind them. He took one step forward, pressing one leg between Caleb’s and smirking against his lips when he felt the hands tighten on his waist. 

Molly felt a nip at his bottom  lip and whined when Caleb pulled away.

“ _ Süsser _ _ ,  _ there is an actual snowstorm brewing around us” Caleb said, voice warm with affection “we should head back” 

Molly sighed; his wizard was right of course... but he could still pout about it. Caleb leaned in  and kissed him once more, lips already chilled from the  brief moment apart. 

“Don’t be sad, if you really want to tell the others then there’s nothing to stop us from continuing this where it’s warmer” 

Oh, now THAT was a good point. There was a perfectly good couch, in front of a delightfully warm fire just waiting for them. He took Caleb hand, smiling this time, and led the way back to the cabin.

\----

When they finally went back inside,  both of them were flushed with more than just the cold, and once they had shucked their winter clothes, Molly felt Caleb slide a hand into his again. He was  fairly certain he had never smiled so much. 

Part Three

Beau

Beau was annoyed. It had taken them almost two and half hours to get to town, and now there was no way the  Stormcloud would make it back. They had gotten the groceries no problem, but by the time they were done the snow was coming so fast and thick that Fjord just shook his head. Now they were sitting in a dingy hotel room (rented specifically because they needed the mini fridge to keep some of the food from turning) and she was  _ annoyed _ . 

“ Beaaaaauuuuu ” cooed Jester from the bed where the Tiefling girl was laying, head over the side, looking at her upside down “it’s just one night, it’s like totally not a big deal really” 

Beau grumbled. 

“ Weatherman says the storm will blow over in no time, we’ll be out of here first thing tomorrow” Fjord said in his most comforting voice. 

“I just don’t like the idea of us splitting up for that long, it feels...” she trailed off, she knew exactly what it felt like but couldn’t seem to bring herself to say it.

“It feels like the night of the attack” Jester filled in, her voice far more quiet than usual and lacking all of its’ normal joy. 

Beau just nodded, nothing more to add to that. 

They all jumped when suddenly, all four phones went off. Beau felt her heartrate spike as she grabbed hers off the bedside table.

** Veth ** ** 💣 ** ** : ** WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS

Beaus hands started to  shake; she could see the others typing as well

** Beau ** : We got stuck in town, the storm, what’s wrong???

** Veth ** ** 💣 ** ** : ** LOOK

** Veth ** ** 💣 ** ** : ** <image attached>

The picture wasn’t one of blood or horror as Beau had expected, and she was absolutely going to murder Veth for scaring her like this. Instead, it was a photo of Molly and Caleb standing by the front door, they were both flushed from the cold but smiling those sappy smiles. The soft glow from the firelight made them look like a scene from one of those  romance movies Jester loved. Their foreheads were pressed together, and they were... holding hands? 

Oh...OH!! 

Jester squealed at just about the same time that the meaning of the image clicked into place in Beau’s mind. She sighed, well... things around the cabin were about to get gross.

** Beau ** : I s2g Veth,  Im gonna kill u when we get back. Let them be sappy and don’t send FREAKED OUT MESSAGES unless someone is in ACTUAL DANGER

** Veth ** ** 💣 ** ** : ** HE IS IN DANGER

** Veth ** ** 💣 ** ** : ** DANGER OF BEING LED ASTRAY BY A MUSICIAN

** Veth ** ** 💣 ** ** :  ** A MUSICIAN BEAU

Beau just rolled her eyes, tossing the phone back onto the bed and laying back with a huff. Jester bounced over to drop down beside her. The overjoyed Tiefling was laying on her stomach, tail swishing wildly and grinning from ear to ear. 

“Beaaaauuuu”

Sigh. “Yeah Jessie, I saw”

“But Beau it’s so  _ cute _ !! Molly has been pining for  _ months _ and now they’re like, all cute and snuggly and stuff!”

She wasn’t wrong, technically, and Caleb  _ had  _ been pining  pretty damn hard too. This would be a good thing, and Beau would be happy for them once she stopped being pissed at Veth for scaring her. 

Fjord was stretched out on the other bed, flipping idly through the fuzzy local channels on the tv 

“Dunno why she texted  _ me _ the picture, I sure as heck couldn’t do anything about it... even if we  _ were _ against the idea” 

Beau looked over and raised an eyebrow “and you think I  _ could _ do something about it Cap?” 

He shrugged “you’re like his sister, he listens to you... or at least pays attention when you talk” 

Beau smirked, yeah sure. Caleb didn’t listen to anyone once he got an idea in his head and they all knew it. Damned smart brat. 

Caduceus hummed softly “well, I think it’s nice. They look  real happy” 

Beau took another peek at the photo and smirked slightly... they did look happy. 

Jester gasped “Oh!” and Beau jolted slightly as the other woman sat up suddenly next to her “I’m going to send this to Molly! It’s such a cute picture and I bet he’d  _ totally _ love to have it” 

Beau rolled her eyes, smiling. Jester was going to be  absolutely incorrigible now that Molly and Caleb had finally talked things out. Took them long enough. Her phone went off again, this time indicating a call rather than a text. She picked it back up and stood, heading for the hallway as she read ‘Dairon’ on the phone’s screen. 

“Beau here” she answered as soon as she shut the door. 

“Beau, we’ve found a possible solution to your housing problem”

Her eyebrows rose in surprise “okay, shoot”

“The Soul has several safehouses in  Zadash , some close enough to your campus that they could be useful” 

“Fuck, that’s awesome-” Dairon cut her off

“ _ But _ , there’s a catch”

“Of fucking course” Beau grumbled

“You would all have to agree to being monitored by Soul agents, and Mister Widogast will not be permitted to leave the residence without either yourself or another guard” 

Oh, he would just  _ love _ that.

“Can he keep going to  classes? Or the library?” 

There was a pause, either for her mentor to discuss the question or for her to make the decision on her own.

“We would  _ prefer _ he not go into classes, as the school is much more difficult to secure... but the library should be acceptable” 

“He’s not going to like  that; school is important to him” 

“Is  _ not dying _ also important?” 

Beau rolled her eyes, swearing under her breath. 

“I’ll talk to him about online or something... I like the idea, but I’ll have to run it by the others before I can give you a solid yes or no”

“ Fine, but try not to dawdle. These safehouses are usually in use, I can’t hold one for long.” 

And... she hung up. Typical Dairon, always had to get the last word in. Beau sighed again, taking a moment to center herself before going back into the hotel room. Caleb was  _ not _ going to like this plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!   
> Okay so real talk: I usually have at least one full chapter done when I post... but currently I'm only halfway through Chapter Twenty-Three. I'm hoping to have more done soon, but I'm so sorry if the updates aren't as quick as usual. 
> 
> Mollys Amulet (but in silver):   
> https://sep.yimg.com/ca/I/heavenlytreasuresjewelry_2631_1233395088


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colds! Planning! Cuddles! Essek!

Part One

Molly

Molly woke up feeling... awful. His throat was burning, and he felt exhausted despite the whole evening spent curled up asleep with the man he loved. (Not that he was ready to tell Caleb that yet, no way)

Maybe standing out in the snow, in his not-exactly-winterproof coat was a bad idea.

Maybe.

However ... thinking of the way that Calebs hands had tugged so firmly on his waist, and how warm and  _ solid _ the wizard had felt up against him... no,  it was  _ definitely _ worth it . 

He groaned softly as he moved his head and sent a spike of pain through his brain, great. He heard a shuffling sound beside the bed and felt the mattress dip as someone sat down behind him.

“Are you alright  _ Shatz _ ?” Calebs sleep-warm voice was in his ear, a hand light on his shoulder. He groaned again in response, trying to roll over without moving his head. Once he made it to his back, he stopped and cracked open one eye, pouting up at the concerned human above him.

“I feel like absolute shit” his voice sounded scratchy, even to his own ears. 

Caleb’s brow furrowed as he looked Molly over (something Molly usually enjoyed immensely, but the look of concern wasn’t nearly as fun as the  _ usual _ look) and placed a hand gently on his forehead. The human hummed in concern as he pulled his cool hand away. 

“You’re warm Mollymauk” 

“Most would agree that I’m  _ hot _ love” Molly tried for a  joke but started to cough as the words irritated his throat. 

Caleb shook his head “it’s no good  _ Liebling,  _ you have caught something” he looked stricken for a moment “probably from our walk yesterday... I am sorry Mollymauk” he leaned in and kissed Molly’s forehead lightly “I forgot you aren’t used to the cold...”

“Worth it” Molly croaked, wincing again at his own voice. Caleb smiled softly at him, shaking his head in a very I-can't-believe-you way. 

“You will have to take it easy today, we have no clerics with us until the others get back...” the wizard paused to think “and I’m not even sure that healing spells will work on a cold, I’ve never looked into it” He shook his head as if to clear it, and Molly spent a moment admiring the curtain of soft auburn hair that had yet to be put up for the day. 

“Either way” the soft voice continued, as Caleb ran his hands gently through Mollys curls “you will need to stay here until you feel well enough. I will bring you some tea and toast okay?”

Molly  nodded; he was going to make a joke about how the best cure for a cold was a wizard to cuddle with... but he was  _ awfully _ tired. 

Molly didn’t realize he fell asleep, but he must have because all of a sudden Caleb was placing a tray with a cup of tea, a bottle of water, and a plate of strawberry jam-covered toast on the nightstand next to him. His wizard also produced a bottle of what looked like pain meds down next to the tray. His voice was soft when he spoke to Molly next.

“ _ Süsser _ _?”  _ Molly hummed in response, turning to look into those very blue eyes... and smiled softly. Caleb smiled back “try to eat something okay? Can you sit up for me?”

Between the two of them they got Molly seated up against the headboard, Caleb insisting on placing several pillows behind him to soften it. The human poured out two of the pain killers and handed them to Molly, along with the water bottle. Molly was uncharacteristically obedient, which only made Caleb look more concerned. He really wasn’t feeling well. 

Molly reached out as his wizard moved to take back the bottle, catching the pale wrist in his and planting a soft kiss over the pulse point there. Even as gross as he was feeling, the sharp intake of breath from the other man made him smile. 

“Thank you love” he said softly, turning the smile towards Caleb and releasing his wrist “you’re just too sweet to me” 

Calebs expression softened, blue eyes warm with clear affection as he tucked a loose curl behind Molly’s ear. 

“You know I’d do anything for you  _ Kätzchen _ _ ”  _ he leaned in and kissed Molly’s temple “now, drink some tea and try to eat something. I’m going to go check if the girls have heard from the others yet” 

Molly nodded, taking a sip of the tea and smiling as the honeyed taste hit his tongue. When had Caleb figured out how he took his tea? 

He watched Caleb leave, sighing and leaning back into the pillows as the door clicked shut behind his  favourite ginger. How had he gotten here? What on  Exandria had  Mollymauk Tealeaf done to deserve someone like Caleb. Molly had no idea. He took another sip of tea, it really did wonders for his throat, and closed his eyes. He could still see the wizard the night they met, pink cheeked and soft looking red hair. He remembered how much he had wanted to reach out and touch, just to see if it really was as soft as it looked. 

Well, he knew now that it  _ definitely _ was , and so was the rest of the man for that matter. Soft and warm. 

And tortured. Molly frowned. 

They really needed to figure out what to do about the damned cultists. If Molly had his way, they would just deal with the fuckers themselves... but murder (even the murder of wanted criminals) was  pretty illegal . He set the teacup down, grabbing a piece of toast and nibbling on it as he tried to force his fuzzy brain to focus. 

Caleb still seemed to carry so much guilt over everything... but there was nothing he or the rest of the Nein could do about that, other than continue to offer unconditional love and support. Which Molly knew they definitely would.

He picked up a second piece of toast, more to calm Caleb than anything else, and sighed happily. Caleb...

_ His _ Caleb, his wizard, his silly  Zemnian nerd. 

Yes, they would take good care of him, no matter what. 

\----

Molly slept in fits and bursts, only able to tell that he had even  _ been _ asleep because of small but sudden changes around him. The tray was there, then the tray was gone. Empty water bottle... full water bottle. Calebs books were on the dresser, then they weren’t.

The best he could tell, it had been several hours since he had woken the first time when he heard the door click quietly. Footsteps that weren’t Caleb’s moved towards the bed, and a larger someone sat down. He opened one eye and smiled up as he saw Yasha sitting there. 

“Hey there charm” his voice was still raspy, though not nearly as bad as the first time, she smiled at him.

“Hey Mols, how are you feeling?” she reached out and put a hand to his forehead, frowning slightly “still too warm” 

“I’m feeling less yucky though” he said hopefully, smiling at her again “My- Mister Caleb has been taking good care of me” he felt himself blush, they hadn’t  _ actually _ told the others last night. 

Yasha’s smile grew at the minor slip-up “I know he has, he’s been checking in every hour on the hour all day” she rolled her eyes affectionately “and that was  _ after _ we stopped him from checking in every 20 minutes”

Molly’s heart flipped and he couldn’t fight the bright smile or the way his tail flicked happily under the covers. Gods Caleb was just too sweet. 

“I actually wanted to talk to you about that” she continued, looking him over knowingly “how long have you two been together?” 

He felt his eyebrows raise, they had been more obvious last night for sure (he had seen Veth take the photo of them after all) but were they  _ that _ obvious?

“How’d you guess?”

“Molly...” she laughed, reached over and poked his collarbone, right over a large hickey he had completely forgotten about “seriously Mols?” 

He laughed as well, looking down at the fading marks before looking back into her mismatched eyes and shrugging 

“I forgot those were there” 

She rolled her eyes again “you are ridiculous, you know that?” she paused, expression softening “so, it’s new then?” 

He nodded, Yasha could read him like a book “since our talk the night he worked out the amulet spell” 

Yasha reached out and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze “I’m happy for you Molly, really. He’s a good man” 

Molly reached up and hugged his best friend close, warmth bubbling in his chest as he nodded into her shoulder.

“He really is, isn’t he? I picked a good one this time”

She pulled back, searching his face for a moment before, apparently satisfied, she smiled again. 

“You did, absolutely” she stood, stretching “you  _ deserve _ good people around you Molly, so I’m going to go ahead and send him back in” 

Molly sat back against the headboard again, his head wasn’t hurting anymore but the idea of sitting unsupported was daunting. He didn’t bother tidying up his hair, he had seen the way Caleb looked at him in the mornings when they were both disheveled and soft. 

It only took a few minutes before the bedroom door opened again and Caleb stepped through, closing it quietly behind him. Molly smiled as the human stood looking him over, concern turned to affection as Caleb walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. He was still in his pajama pants, Molly noticed, just with a comfortable looking “ Zadash U” hoodie added. Molly sighed happily as Caleb’s warm hand reached out to cup his cheek gently.

“hallo  _ Shatz,  _ feeling any better?”

Molly turned his head and pressed a kiss into Caleb’s palm 

“Loads better now that I’ve got you here” 

Caleb smiled that sweet I’m-so-glad-you're-here smile, and slid his hand gently out of Mollys, chuckling at the pout as he crawled up and into bed. Once Caleb was settled next to him, Molly snuggled up against his side, breathing deep the familiar scent of  _ Caleb _ . 

“I spoke with Veth” Caleb said softly, thumb rubbing gentle circles into the back of Mollys hand “and I believe you spoke with Yasha  _ ja _ ?” Molly hummed in agreement and felt Caleb chuckle again. 

“Well, I supposed they’ll all know by the time they get back then”

“Do we know when they’ll be back?” 

Caleb hummed “the snow slowed down around noon, so they should be back any time now” 

“What time is it anyway?” Molly realized he hadn’t checked his phone once that day, that hadn’t happened in a long time.

“3:47 in the afternoon” he paused a moment, pressing a kiss to the top of Molly’s head “are you hungry  _ Kätzchen _ ?” 

Molly hummed, nuzzling into the warmth of Caleb’s shoulder. He  _ was  _ hungry but...

“Comfy” he muttered, which earned him another warm laugh

“How about this, if you are up to  it we will go eat in the living room... we can curl up by the fire just as easily as here, and you can eat”

Molly gave in eventually, and they made their way out of the bedroom. Molly’s legs were shaky, and they couldn’t move too quickly without him getting the spins, but any excuse to hold tight to his wizard was fine with him. Caleb got him settled on the loveseat closest to the fire, laying a warm blanket over his legs and dropping a light kiss onto his forehead before heading towards the kitchen. 

Molly sighed and leaned back into the couch cushions; the fire really  _ was _ very nice. Before the warmth could put him back to sleep, Caleb was back and sitting on the couch beside him. He had a two bowls of soup, some fruit and vegetables, which they started to pick from slowly. Molly curled up against Caleb’s side while they ate, finding that he really didn’t mind the silence. 

Of course, with the Mighty Nein, silence never lasts long.

All too soon the door of the cabin burst open, letting in a gust of icy air that set Molly shivering, despite the ( really excellent ) combination of a fire, a warm blanket, and Caleb. The wizards arm wrapped around him, rubbing his arm  in an attempt to combat the shivers. 

“We’re  baaaaack !” sang Jester as she skipped in carrying four bags of groceries. 

“It’s  _ fucking cold”  _ out there” moaned Beau, stomping her feet to get the snow off as Fjord shut the door, clicking the lock securely. 

“Mission was successful I take it?” Caleb teased, smiling at their snow-covered friends. He had said the storm slowed down, but Molly was guessing it hadn’t  actually stopped . 

“Yup!” Fjord shook out his coat before hanging it up with the others, taking Jesters when it was offered so the Tiefling girl could skip over to the kitchen with their bounty “got everything we should need for the rest of the week, even found some treats while we were there” 

There was a shuffling in the kitchen before Jester bounced over and stood in front of them, hands on her hips and a pout on her face.

“ Molllyyy ” she whined “how come you ignored all my texts today? It’s like, totally rude and stuff” 

Molly smiled apologetically, not really able to find the energy to get up and hug her.

“I’m sorry Tricks, I’ve been  _ horribly _ ill all day” he sighed dramatically, tossing his curls back over his shoulder “I’m surprised I even survived long enough to see you”

She knelt down and settled her hands on his leg, staring at him with concern in her pretty purple eyes

“Are you hurt? Can I help? I’m like a super good cleric you know” He smiled at her, shaking his head 

“I don’t know if you can, I’m not hurt... I’m just horribly ill” 

Caleb chuckled next to him, the hand on his arm sliding down to rest at his waist. 

“And just what is so funny about my dreadful predicament Mister Caleb?” Molly pouted, turning his head to look at the ginger. Caleb tilted his head to look back at him, with how they had been cuddled up on the couch their faces were only inches apart. The temptation to quit his pouting and just kiss the little smirk off the wizards' face was  _ nearly _ too strong for Molly to resist.

Only nearly.

Instead, he added a furrowed brow to the pout, huffing in feigned annoyance. This only caused Caleb to laugh softly again, before (to Molly’s surprise) leaning in and pressing a light kiss to the Tieflings forehead. 

“I’m sorry  _ Shatz”  _ he said, not sounding sorry at all “your illness is obviously very concerning... perhaps we should get you back to bed, the excitement of our friends return may be too much hm?” 

Molly couldn’t help but smile at the teasing, he loved when Caleb gave into his sillier side. He shook his head, still smiling before he slid down and curled back into the  humans' side fully, ever mindful of his horns. 

He hummed as if he was considering the idea “no, I think I’m just fine right here thanks” 

Someone made a gagging sound, and Molly looked up to see  all of their friends (save Caduceus and Yasha, who were making dinner in the kitchen) staring at them. He felt his cheeks heat up in a way that had nothing to do with his  cold and found himself wondering vaguely where this burst of shyness was coming from. 

Beau was still making a  grossed-out face, Fjord just looked amused... Jester was absolutely  _ beaming _ at them and Veth... Molly let his eyes rest on the halfling womans face for a moment, suddenly very nervous. Obviously, she wasn’t Caleb’s  _ actual _ mother, and even if she was Caleb was a grown man... but something deep in him was suddenly desperate for her  approval?

She stared him down for a moment, looking stoic... before sighing and rolling her eyes

“Well, I still say my Caleb could do much better, but if you’re who he wants I’m not getting in the way” she walked over and kissed Caleb on the cheek, patted Molly’s head “but if you hurt him, I’ll stab you” 

She then headed for the kitchen and Molly felt himself release a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. 

Beau rolled her eyes “just like... keep it in your pants or whatever, I  _ so  _ don’t need to see you two sucking face all over the place” she shivered dramatically “I’m  _ still _ having nightmares about the last time I saw it” 

Molly flipped her off, making Caleb laugh again, and she responded in kind by flipping him a double bird before dropping into one of the armchairs and pulling out her phone. 

Fjord just shrugged when Molly caught his eye, his face very clearly saying that he had no opinion either way before heading over to help the others finish unpacking. Jester... well, Jester was practically vibrating with excitement. She sat down in the same spot she had been kneeling and smiled brightly at them. 

“I'm just like  _ so super happy _ for you guys!! You look so totally adorable together, and you’ve been  _ pining _ and acting so stupid about it for like SO long” she sighed, hands clasped dramatically up by her cheek “it’s  _ just _ like one of my books! I  _ totally told you so Caleb”  _ she finished her sentence by pointing (also dramatically) at Caleb with a triumphant look on her face. 

Molly raised an eyebrow at her, instantly very curious about this statement.

“What do you mean you told him so darling?” He asked, smirking as his tail curled  mischievously behind him on the couch. 

“Oh-my- _ Gods _ Molly is was like...literal  _ ages _ ago!” Caleb coughed an embarrassed little cough next to  him, but Jester ignored it “it was way back in like...  Cuersaar when we had our shopping day!” 

“Oh really?” Molly purred, he was  definitely going to tease Caleb about this one later

Jester nodded, managing to look both  triumphant and exasperated at once “he  _ totally _ shot me down with his ‘ _ life  _ _ eez _ __ _ nawt _ _ a romance book  _ _ Jesteeer _ _ ’ _ and ‘ _ Mawllymauwk _ __ _ eez _ _ just my  _ _ frieend _ __ _ Jesteeer _ _ ’ _ it was totally ridiculous!” 

Molly burst out laughing, not just at the idea of Jester comparing them to one of her ‘romance’ books, but at the truly awful attempt she made at a  Zemnian accent. He was  _ definitely _ storing all that away for later... when the idea of standing didn’t make him dizzy. 

The rest of the night passed quietly, Fjord brought out a book that he had found while they were shopping and gave it to Caleb with a smile. Caleb had started reading it immediately, always keeping an arm around Molly (which he appreciated). They ended up eating in the living room again, despite having a perfectly good table only a few feet away. When Molly brought this up, his friends all made excuses about being “used to couches” and “more comfortable” but he was  fairly certain they had seen the look of trepidation on his face at the idea of sitting up straight that long. 

By the time dinner was over, he was completely exhausted. He had managed to eat a fair bit, but now he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes open. It was in that half-asleep haze that Caleb led him back to their room and got him settled into the bed. 

“I will be back in just a little bit okay  _ Shatz _ ? Beauregard needs to speak to me” Caleb spoke softly, brushing a stray curl away from Molly’s cheek. 

Molly smiled up sleepily, nodding. If Caleb said he would be back, then he would be. 

And so, Molly slept.

Part Two

Caleb

Caleb shut the door to their room quietly, pausing with his hand still rested against the wood for a moment just to revel in the idea of  _ their _ bedroom. The last few days with  Mollymauk had been wonderful, even considering the poor Tieflings cold. He couldn’t deny the relief he felt now that their friends knew about them. He sighed, knowing whatever Beauregard was going to talk to him about would not be nearly as pleasant. 

He made his way back to the living room where Jester was helping Yasha re-do a braid that had come loose, Caduceus and Fjord were meditating together by the fire. Veth was on the cough with Beauregard sitting on the edge of the coffee table across from her. They looked up as he walked in, their expressions serious. He resisted a sigh as he walked over and sat down on the couch next to Veth.

“So, what’s the news then?” he asked, sounding as resigned as he felt

Beauregard grimaced “got a call from Dairon”

“I figured as much”

She glared at him for  interrupting , and he shrugged.

“They found some empty safe houses in Zadash. The Soul can put us all up, we’ll have to disguise ourselves to move in I assume, and probably whenever we go out”

Well, that didn’t sound too bad... but Beauregard’s face said there was more, so Caleb waited. 

“Thing is... you’d have to have like... a guard with you anytime you left” he opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off “I know, I  _ know _ okay? They said I could act as guard instead” she paused now, chewing her lip and looking nervous “the part you’re  _ really _ gonna hate is the school part... they said you can keep working at the library but no in person classes” 

Caleb blinked, feeling shock fade into disbelief and then anger. If he stopped going to classes, he would lose his funding. There was no  _ point _ to even being in  Zadash at that point, and he had already worked way too hard to lose it all now. There was absolutely no way any of that was happening, and he told her so.

“So no, no way am I leaving school. That’s  absolutely not going to happen Beauregard” he finished, glaring. 

She sighed “see I  _ knew _ you wouldn’t take it well... but listen” he glared “ no seriously,  _ listen _ man. I’ve been thinking about it, what if you did online courses instead? That way you still get all your credits, but you don’t have to leave the house” 

He thought about it for a moment... it wasn’t the  _ worst _ idea. He had already been looking into online courses for over the summer anyway. His scholarships didn’t specify that he  _ had  _ to take in-person courses... He would have to speak to his advisor and explain the whole ‘possible death’ situation and see if they could even get him into the online courses this close to the start of term. But... it wasn’t the worst idea.

“That... could actually work” he could hear the shock in his own voice, and registered the annoyance on  Beauregard's face a moment too late to change his tone

“Don’t act to surprised, I  _ am  _ pretty fuckin’ smart... asshole” she crossed her arms and glared at him.

He sighed and felt his shoulders slump “I’m sorry, really... it’s just been...” he paused, looking down at his hands “it’s been a lot”

He heard a shuffle after a moment and felt two sets of arms wrap around him, Beauregard’s firm and only a little awkward, and Veth’s soft and motherly. He smiled, it wasn’t a true smile, but it was close enough. The last few months really had been a  _ lot _ . 

He wondered, sitting there wrapped up in a hug from two of his  favourite people, if he would ever  get a year that  _ wasn’t _ a lot. 

Beauregard pulled away, going over to sit with Yasha and Jester, and Veth patted his leg lightly and nodded towards the hallway.

“Why don’t you get some rest Cay-Cay? You can deal with the school stuff tomorrow” 

Caleb nodded, he  _ was _ pretty wiped out, now that she mentioned it. He said his goodnights and headed for the room. He opened the door and got ready for bed as quietly as he could, keeping an eye on the sleeping form in the bed already.  Mollymauks colour looked better than it had that morning, and he didn’t seem like he was in any major discomfort (if the downright sweet expression on his sleeping face was any indication). Caleb climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around the other man, pulling him in close.  Mollymauk let out a contented sigh as he did so, and Caleb couldn’t help but smile to himself.

It had been a  really rough few months... but at least he had  Mollymauk with him, safe and warm and happy. 

\----

Caleb spent the next three days talking back and forth with the university, the police department, and Dr Pike. It took no less than 20 phone calls (all causing him increasing frustration) before the school agreed to move him from in-person classes to the equivalent online for the rest of the school year. He was pretty sure that the last three-way call between himself, the admin representative for the university, and Dr. Pike in which the good doctor spent 30 full minutes berating the school on its lack of concern for the physical safety and mental health of the students was one of the best phone calls of his life. 

When he wasn’t pacing back and forth on the phone, either outside or in his bedroom, he was with the Nein. They hiked in the woods, had snowball fights and even tested their luck by walking out onto the frozen lake.  Mollymauk’s cold had disappeared as quickly as it came on, and he spent the first day telling everyone that it was “all thanks to his  _ wonderful _ wizard man” in tones that made  Beauregard gag or roll her eyes every time. 

At one point, Beauregard decided to try and climb a huge, snow-covered tree despite all of them telling her it was a stupid idea (except Veth, who thought it would be hilarious). She fell out and broke her arm. Jester tried to make her walk all the way back to the cabin with it “because we  _ totally told you so”  _ but relented halfway there because the other womans’ pout was too hard to look at. 

All the while, they planned. Once Caleb had agreed to the safehouse plan, Beauregard had called Dairon. They sent the information to Beauregard's Cobalt Soul phone, which was far more secure than her normal one, and reminded her that the group “absolutely must” show up in disguise. That would be left to Caleb, since his Seeming spell could last up to a full eight hours, the plan was to cast the spell on all of them when they were three or four hours out of the city still. Just in case the cult had spies watching the roads in. 

The current debate they were having was when exactly they should actually head back. 

“But it would be so much  _ fun _ to celebrate the new year at the new place” Jester pouted, for the third time.

“Yes Jester of course it would” Caleb said, trying to hide his exasperation “be we need to ward the place, and I haven’t had the chance to reach out to  Essek yet, plus we wouldn’t even make it back on time at this point” 

The New Dawn celebration was tomorrow night, even if they left right that second and drove straight through, they would to too exhausted to actually celebrate. And, he really did need to send a message to Essek, now that he didn’t need to be on the phone with the school anymore. 

Jester sighed “ _ fiiiiiiine _ , fine” she grumbled something in infernal that made  Mollymauk snicker. 

Caleb leaned back, pulling out his phone. It was just about 1pm, on the 31 st of  Duscar ... Caleb wasn’t sure if  Essek and his family celebrated New Dawn, but he had a feeling (based on the sheer volume of booze the others had come home with a few days before) that he would be in no state to make plans on the day of.

** Caleb ** : Hello Essek, I hope I am not interrupting any holiday celebrations. I need to ask for another favour. I need to do some warding again and was hoping you would be willing to help?

** Essek ** : Hello Caleb, you’re not interrupting anything, it is nice to hear from you. I hope you are having a nice holiday? I would be happy to help with wards again, though I admit to being curious about what happened to the previous ones

** Caleb ** : I appreciate it! Nothing has happened to the previous wards, however due to an... escalation (for lack of a better word) in the issue I was having before, we now need to ward a new location

** Essek ** : Are you safe? 

Caleb smiled, struck again by what an excellent friend he had found in  Essek . It had been nice at first just to have another wizard to speak to, but the kindness that the  drow showed him  every time they spoke was heartwarming.

** Caleb ** : I am currently  safe; it is very kind of you to ask. The building we need to ward is significantly larger than my apartment was, so though you were generous enough to share the  higher-level wards with me I will certainly be unable to complete it myself. 

** Essek ** : I am glad to hear you’re safe, and I will be happy to help. Just let me know when and where

Caleb furrowed his  brow, he hadn’t thought about the difficulty of how to get  Essek _ to _ the safehouse without a safe channel to send the address through. He looked over at Beauregard where she was laying on the floor scrolling through her phone. 

“Beauregard?” 

She looked up, curiously “ Essek agree to help out?” 

Caleb nodded, noting the way  Mollymauk seemed to stiffen up beside him with mild confusion.

“ _ Ja _ , he is happy to assist” 

“I  _ bet _ he is...”  Mollymauk mumbled under his breath, Caleb looked at him curiously, but the  Tiefling looked stubbornly back at his cellphone

“I am trying to figure out how we will give him the address if Dairon does not want it sent through normal phones” he continued, deciding to leave the question of  Mollymauks reaction for later.

Beau hummed in response, thinking about it for a moment before answering “can he do the disguise thing that you can?” 

Caleb nodded “I would assume so, it’s not a  particularly difficult spell”

“Okay, get him to meet me at Caddy’s place once we’re back in town, you disguise me and he can disguise himself and I’ll just direct him to the house” 

“The license plate on his car may still be traceable” Fjord called from where he was reading on the other sofa 

Beauregard and Caleb both frowned 

“That’s a good point...” she muttered “do you think he’d be willing to take the bus?” 

Caleb couldn’t help but smirk, the idea of  Essek Thyless , the man with diamonds in his ears and custom tailored  _ everything  _ sitting on a bus was... well, it was funny. Before he could respond, his phone began to ring in his hand,  Essek’s name flashing on the screen.

“Hallo” he said curiously

“I hope you don’t mind my  calling; you hadn’t  responded, and I am working on my schedule for the start of the term”

Caleb flushed slightly, of course he was busy “I’m very sorry  _ mein _ _ Freund,  _ we were trying to work out how to pass along the information, as texts can be retrieved by others”

There was a pause 

“You are in that much danger then?”

“Well... I suppose, yes” Caleb sighed “We were trying to figure out a way to get you to the house without jeopardizing your safety, or our location”

“Magical disguises will be necessary I suppose” 

“Yes, but we worry that your license plate may be traceable” 

Caleb was surprised by the light chuckle that sounded from the other end of the line, he hummed curiously into the phone

“I apologize” Caleb could hear the smile on  Essek’s face “I suppose it’s not all that funny, but my car is a  Thyless family vehicle, so if they did trace it all they would get it the address of the fleet”

“Ah! Well that’s perfect then!” he paused, smiling “do you know where the Whispering Willow is?” there was a noise of assent from the other man “excellent, we will be back in town on the evening of the 1 st , so whenever is convenient for you...?” he trailed off

There was a brief pause and the sound of paper shuffling as (Caleb assumed)  Essek looked through a planner.

“Luckily I am free  Miresen evening, my classes only run until 3” 

He looked over at Beauregard, covering the mouthpiece of the phone “ Miresen after 3?” She nodded. 

“That would be perfect” Caleb said  gratefully “I appreciate it, truly” 

“It is no  trouble; I look forward to seeing you again”

“I as well, see you soon”

They hung up and Caleb smiled up at Beauregard, who smiled back in a ‘well-that’s-one-problem-solved' way.  Mollymauk was still holding himself stiffly against Calebs side, he squeezed the Tiefling’s hand lightly, pressing a lingering kiss to the crown of purple curls. The other man seemed to relax a little bit, but not in the ‘happy-housecat’ way that Caleb had gotten used to. He sighed, they would have to talk it out, but that would have to wait until they went to bed. He didn’t like having private conversation in public spaces, even if it  _ was _ just the Nein. 

Caleb smirked into  Mollymauks hair, they may not be able to talk... but... 

He slid his hand out of  Mollymauks , running his fingers lightly along the back of the other  mans hand. He felt the Tiefling shift slightly against him, and continued the slow, feather-light caress across skin and down along the toned thigh. He was thankful for the thick blanket they were wrapped up in, as  Mollymauk pressed back into him, shoulders relaxing as Caleb continued to draw the nonsense shapes through his pajamas. 

He wouldn’t do anything more, not out here, but he knew how tactile his  Mollymauk was. Little touches and a light caress like this always served to calm and relax him. 

They spent the rest of the night like that, curled up and comfortable. At one point, Jester brought out hot chocolate, gushing about how much better it was now that Caleb had spread the “don’t use water” trick. And if, when they finally went to bed, Caleb spent just a little bit longer admiring  Mollymauks tattoos and warm skin than usual... well, who was going to complain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! I'm alive!  
> Sorry again for the delay everyone, I'm working on the next chapter now so hopefully it won't be too long of a wait. Next up: New Day (aka New Years) and a second chapter of the Nein being stuck in a van with no real seats for 16 hours!
> 
> Big thank you to the lovely Aeonys for the inspiration for poor sick Molly 💗 It fit so perfectly after these adorable idiots decided to walk through a snowstorm that I couldn't leave it out💗💗
> 
> Also: to address the Frumpkin issue- he is safe and sound in the Fae Wilds! I meant to include that a couple chapters ago but it slipped my mind, Caleb will snap him back once they're safely home :)  
> Also also: Note the rating change, it's nothing too crazy but there are a couple scenes coming up that I'm not 100% certain fit the "T" rating. I'm also just really bad at figuring out what is acceptable for which rating, so I'd rather be safe than sorry.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Dawn! Music! Exposition! Long Car Rides!

Part One

Caleb

Caleb woke on the morning of New Dawn’s Eve to soft singing and the feeling of a warm hand running up and down this side lightly. He smiled, not opening his eyes just yet, enjoying the sensation of Mollymauks quiet voice vibrating through his chest. 

“I see you smiling  you big faker” came the teasing voice from just below his chin

Caleb opened his eyes and found himself looking down into  Mollymauks cheerful red ones, the Tieflings teasing smile going warm as they looked at each other. Caleb felt that now so-familiar tug in his chest, so he leaned down and pressed his lips to that sweet smile, sliding one hand up to  cup the back of  Mollymauk’s neck lightly. The kiss was slow and sleepy, both of them smiling into it, pulling away just as slow.

“What were you singing  _ Schatz _ ?” he asked, doodling circles against the small of his lovers back, right above his tail.

“It’s a sad song”  Mollymauk admitted, eyes dropping shut at Caleb’s light caress “but it has a very pretty melody”

Caleb nodded and hummed in understanding, before kissing the lavender forehead lightly. 

“Sometimes sad songs can be the prettiest I suppose” 

“I’d rather sing something happy though”  Mollymauk opened his eyes again and his smile turned  mischievous “or something sexy” 

Caleb laughed softly at that one “oh I think everyone knows how good you are at those” he leaned back in, brushing his lips across Mollymauk’s ever-so-lightly “I know I couldn’t take my eyes off of you when I saw you the first time” 

He could feel the heat as the other man blushed, but the  Teifling’s voice was all flirtation when he answered

“Are you saying you can take your eyes off me now darling? I’ll have to try harder if that’s the case”

Caleb smirked “only when absolutely forced to do so” 

Mollymauks tail wrapped itself around Caleb’s ankle as tattooed arms snaked over his shoulders, Caleb pressed lightly on the small of  Mollymauks back, pulling him in close as the other man stole another long, lingering kiss. 

“No one is stopping you now love”  Mollymauk whispered against his lips and Caleb felt his breath hitch as one long leg slid up over his hip bringing them flush together, and one long nailed hand tangled in his hair. 

Caleb tightened his grip on the nape of  Mollymauk’s neck, heart stuttering at the immediate gasp and tug that it elicited from his partner. Sharp fangs nipped at his lower lip and a forked tongue licked into his mouth when he gasped in response. When they finally broke apart for air, Caleb’s head was spinning and the only thing he could think of was getting his lips back on the soft lavender skin. He was stopped from doing so when suddenly  Mollymauk was pressing rough, biting kisses along his throat and it was all Caleb could do not to moan loud enough for their friends to hear.

Mollymauk purred against his neck in response to the noises he knew he was making. The long nails untangled from his hair and slid down his chest instead, leaving pale pink lines where they went. The hands stopped at the waistband of his pants, and  Mollymauk was following the scratch marks with the same biting kisses all down Caleb’s chest. With more strength than Caleb was expecting, the Tieflings hands gripped his hips and  _ pushed _ , and suddenly he was on his back with  Mollymauk kneeling between his legs.

Caleb gasped as  Mollymauk licked a stripe up his chest from navel to neck, the gasp melting into a soft moan as the man sucked at the sensitive skin there. It would be another hoodie day for Caleb, and he would  _ never _ complain. The hands on his hips had shifted, thumbs sliding under the waistband of his pants and making him  _ very  _ aware of the interest that particular part of his body was showing.

“ Mollymauk ...  _ Schatz”  _ he was only mildly embarrassed by how wrecked his voice already sounded. 

Mollymauk paused, shifting slightly to look him in the eye, concern fighting  its way through the clear desire in the scarlet eyes.

“Do you want me to stop? Just say the word love” Caleb was pleased to hear the same rough edge to  Mollymauk’s voice that he had heard in his own. He shook his head, reaching up to tug the sweet man into a deep kiss and trying to show him  exactly how much he  _ didn’t _ want to stop.

Judging by the darkening of  Mollymauk’s cheeks when they pulled apart, he got the message. 

They missed breakfast that day.

\----

Caleb walked into the living room thirty minutes after  Mollymauk , having needed a calming shower before he could face the others. He turned the corner into the living room and laughed, the Nein were  definitely starting the New Dawn celebrations early. 

There were two pitchers on the counter, one Caleb recognized as mimosas (there was no way it was just orange juice) and the other was... pink? But he was sure it was equally alcoholic. Surrounding them were all the mis-matched drinkware that had been at the cabin. There were also several platters of food, some clearly breakfast food (always a full platter of bacon), but there were also sandwiches and bowls of chips... and possibly a pot of stew.

The Nein were all spread around the living room, the coffee table had been moved over by the wall which left a clear space that he knew would be for dancing. Beauregard had set up her speakers and was playing music from what Caleb guessed was the group playlist... he was already looking forward to  Mollymauk and Jester belting out musical numbers as the day wore on. To his amusement, the others were all dressed up. Beauregard in her nicest jeans, a collared shirt (half open), a vest and a tie done loose around her neck. Jester had on a flouncy pink dress with a sequined belt and little jewels in her hair, some of which Caleb recognized as Mollymauks. 

Fjord had pulled on a dress shirt  similar to Beauregard's but buttoned up and without the tie. Caduceus had on one of his long tunic-style shirts and loose pants, with an addition of three long necklaces of polished stone. Yasha was a shock, in a long black dress with a slit up the side... Caleb never would have thought of it for her, but he had to say she looked wonderful in it. Veth had a dress  similar to Jesters, but hers was a pretty buttercup yellow with a beaded belt instead of a sequined one. 

Then... Caleb caught sight of  Mollymauk . He had on a sheer navy button up (unbutton to his navel, as usual) with a pattern of moons, stars and suns all over it. Paired with his black leather pants, a multi-layered choker of rhinestones, the matching bands of rhinestones added to his usual horn jewelry and his amulet (of course). Caleb wasn’t sure if the deeper tone of his lips was from their earlier... ‘activities’ or that lip-gloss he seemed to love, but either way Caleb wasn’t going to complain. 

As far as the wizard was concerned,  Mollymauk was the most beautiful person in the world... especially when he turned those scarlet eyes on Caleb and  _ smiled _ like seeing him was the best part of any day.

Gods... he was in love. 

Mollymauk strutted over to him in a way only the Tiefling could pull off, holding out a large glass of the mimosas.

“For old time’s sake” he winked, Caleb chuckled and took the drink,  cheersing with Mollymauk. 

“Caleb!” Jester called, pouting “why aren’t you dressed up?”

He laughed again “I’m sorry Jester, I didn’t know I was supposed to... I don’t think I packed anything” 

She glared for a moment before her eyes went wide and a huge grin broke across her face... that couldn’t be good.

“Molly! Come with me!” she shouted, grabbing  Mollymauk and pulling him back towards the bedrooms.

Mollymauk shrugged in a ‘what-can-you-do' way and followed her, so Caleb grabbed a breakfast sandwich from the counter and dropped down into an armchair. He and the others chatted for a while (26 minutes, to be specific) about the plans for tomorrow, wondering out loud what the house would look like, and discussing disguises. Caleb finished off the first glass of mimosa and was starting to sip on a glass of the pink one (pink lemonade, it turned out... though he wasn’t sure what kind of alcohol was in it). He had a comfortable buzz on, relaxing into the soft chair and feeling generally good about the day. 

Out of the blue,  Mollymauk dropped himself sideways onto Caleb’s lap and wrapped his arms loosely around his shoulders, the human gripping his thigh lightly on instinct. Beauregard boo-ed from the other couch but they ignored her.

“You’re back” Caleb stated, smiling up at his partner (who only looked even prettier up close)

“Darling,  will you do something for me?”  Mollymauk purred, twirling a loose piece of  auburn hair around a finger.

Caleb rolled his eyes “of course  _ Schatz _ , you know I will” 

Molly beamed and stood up, pulling Caleb’s free hand as he did “come with me” 

“Anytime” Caleb teased, earning him a wink from  Mollymauk and a gag from Beauregard.

Mollymauk pulled him back to their room, and Caleb smirked as the Tiefling all but pushed him into the room. 

“Calm down Mollymauk, we have all night” Caleb teased, eyes going wide as he heard a giggle from their bed. 

He looked over, and there was Jester, sitting next to a small pile of clothes and smirking at him  conspiratorially . 

“What...” He looked between the two Tieflings, they wore matching  mischievous smiles that made him  _ very _ nervous.

“Don’t be worried Cayleb!” Jester said cheerfully, hopping off the bed “we’re going to get you ready for the party!”

Oh yes, very nervous. 

\----

Twenty-five minutes later, the three of them re-entered the living room.  Mollymauk bowed him in with a flourish while Jester cleared her throat to get the attention of the others. Caleb walked in uncertainly, one hand in his pocket and the other on the back of his neck. 

They had dressed him in a skintight black turtleneck with little silver stars embroidered around the neck, a pair of navy slacks that fit surprisingly well. Jester had braided a small section of his hair and then tied it all up in a low  ponytail and accessorized him with a long necklace with a crescent moon on  its side that he knew was  Mollymauks . 

Overall, it wasn’t as outlandish as it could have been, but it was still more than he usually did with his outfits. The one consolation was the way  Mollymauk had looked at him when he stepped out of the bathroom after changing... all flushed cheeks and excited tail movements. 

He looked up, uncertain, and blushed seeing all of their friends looking at him. 

“Cayleb! You look so  _ handsome _ !” Veth gushed, a hand pressed to her chest and motherly pride in her eyes

“You clean up good bro, should think about buying something that isn’t sweatpants” Beauregard half-teased, though the smile was genuine. The others nodded along, and he found himself smiling.

He sat back down in the armchair,  Mollymauk joining him with fresh drinks soon after. The Tiefling planted a kiss on his cheek when he handed over the drink, and Caleb couldn’t help the fond smile that formed on his face as he looked at his partner.  Mollymauk hand one arm rested across Caleb’s shoulders and didn’t seem keen on moving anytime soon. 

The next few hours were a blur of mis-matched music and ever-louder conversation.  Mollymauk only left Caleb’s lap so that he could dance, always coming back when he needed a break or a drink. Or sometimes just when he wanted to steal a kiss, which Caleb never denied him. The drinks flowed easily, Caduceus making sure to switch them out for tea or water every once in a while, so no one would get sick, and there was plenty of food to keep their stomachs settled. By the time the sun was going down, Caleb had forgotten his discomfort with the new outfit, and pretty much every other uncomfortable thing in his life. His focus was mainly on  Mollymauk , as it so often was these days.

As they neared dinner time, Caleb felt his energy flagging a bit and wandered over to the kitchen for coffee. While he waited for it to brew, he watched his family. Jester and Molly were singing along to some musical number, complete with the exaggerated expressions he can come to recognize as stage performance. It was a sweet scene; Caleb recognized the song from one of the many musicals he and  Mollymauk had watched together before the “Incident”. Caleb had loved watching  Mollymauk try  _ so _ hard not to sing along the first few times, finally breaking when a  favourite song would come on. This particular movie was one he hadn’t even tried to fight. 

“ _ Oh, come on darling! There’s no way you haven’t seen The Greatest Showman yet?? Really?”  _

_ The abject horror in  _ _ Mollymauks _ _ voice had made Caleb smile as he shook his head in response. _

_ “You know I don’t generally watch musicals on my own Mollymauk...and wasn’t this one about P.T Barnum? He was an awful person” _

_ Mollymauk _ _ scoffed “well of course he was, but it’s a Disney- _ _ fied _ _ version! It’s all about found family and hope and true love... and the  _ _ muuuuusic _ _ is just to die for”. The  _ _ tiefling _ _ had pouted then, arms crossed and tail swishing “pretty please?”  _

_ And how could Caleb say no to  _ _ that? _ _ Especially when he really couldn’t say no to  _ **_ anything _ ** _ the other man asked.  _

_ As it turned out, Caleb had really enjoyed the movie... but listening to  _ _ Mollymauk _ _ sing the soundtrack for days after had been even better. _

Caleb smiled at the memory of it as  Mollymauk took on the personality  movie!PT Barnum, tipping an invisible hat to Jester while she pretended to be the other person. The Tieflings had clearly watched the movie far too many times, with how well they knew the steps to the accompanying dance. 

Of course, that didn’t stop Jester from spinning herself directly onto Yasha and Beau’s laps at the end, causing the other women to laugh. Caleb poured a cup of coffee, taking a sip as  Mollymauk caught his  eye and bowed, a cheeky grin on his face. 

Fjord was on the loveseat, watching in clear amusement while Veth looked like she was filming the whole thing from her spot in an armchair. 

“It’s nice to see everyone so happy” came Caduceus’s voice from next to him, Caleb looked over and smiled up at his friend

“It is,  _ ja”  _ Caleb sighed “I feel like...” he paused, frowning, trying to figure out the words “it feels like right before a spell ends, like we’ve been under some kind of enchantment here and it’s almost run out of time...” 

Caduceus smiled kindly and laid a hand on Caleb’s shoulder “maybe it is, but between the lot of us I think we know plenty of other spells” the pale pink eyes roved over their friends, fond smile still in place “change doesn’t have to be bad, even if it  _ is  _ scary... and even if some of it  _ is _ bad, at least we have each other”

Caleb thought about that for a moment, slowly drinking his coffee as he watched his friends. Jester was laid out across Yasha and Beau still, Yasha braiding her hair while Beau leaned back with one arm tossed over the back of the couch and a drink in the other hand.  Mollymauk had pulled Veth onto the makeshift dancefloor and they were spinning happily to some upbeat pop song that Caleb only half recognized. Fjord was watching with a smile on his face, before looking over to where Caduceus was standing, Caleb didn’t miss the way his friends cheeks went a darker shade of green when the  firbolg smiled back.

_ That  _ was an interesting development... hm.

Caduceus excused himself with a nod and went to sit next to Fjord on the seat, and Caleb smiled into his coffee. He watched passively for a little while longer, a slower song had come on and Jester had dragged Beau out to dance with her. Yasha watched with a fond smile as she sipped her drink. 

How could Caleb ever have thought of leaving them? Well... he knew how, if it would  _ protect _ them then he would absolutely go. But there was something in knowing, really knowing, that they didn’t  _ want _ him to leave though. Something in knowing that he would be missed... 

He refilled his coffee, snacking on some chips, clearly the booze was trying to pull him towards the melancholy. 

The song changed, and Caleb recognized it as another from the Greatest Showman... the half elf man... Phil? Had sung it with the pretty  drow woman... the trapeze artist. 

Caleb laughed as  Mollymauk jumped up onto a coffee table, throwing his hand out dramatically in Caleb’s direction as he sang, clearly  beckoning him over. Caleb shook his head, smiling. He could dance a waltz, and with instruction he held his own last time they danced... but he didn’t do theater. 

Mollymauk was undeterred, he hopped down, walking dramatically over. He slid the mug out of Caleb’s hand and set it down on the counter (and once again, how could he ever refuse this man anything?) before taking his hands in the same way the human had shown him all those weeks ago and pulling him into a smooth spin. To Caleb’s surprise, they were waltzing. It was an exaggerated version, more spinning than there usually would be, but still enough that Caleb could keep up with the steps.

_ All I want is to fly with you _

_ All I want it to fall with you _

_ So just give me all of you _

Mollymauk pulled Caleb in close as the song hit a crescendo and Caleb knew he was blushing now as the  Tiefling stared at him with something that  anyone but Caleb would have called love. It couldn’t be love, Caleb was in love, but that look... it couldn’t be love. 

As the song finished,  Mollymauk leaned in and stole a soft and oh-so-sweet kiss. If he could have, Caleb would have frozen time right there. If he had his way... this spell would never break.

Part Two

Molly

The rest of the night was a happy rose-tinted blur. Molly sang and danced (even managing to pull his reluctant partner in a few more times) and drank. The mixture of booze and food and the  _ joy _ of being surrounded by people he loved had his head spinning in the best way. By the time midnight rolled around and they were saluting the  beginning of a whole new year, Molly was convinced this had been the best day of his life. 

He and Caleb finally stumbled into bed somewhere around 2am, Fjord and Caddy had gone much earlier. Veth as well, saying she needed her beauty sleep if she was going to see  Yezza tomorrow. The other three were still up when Molly finally grabbed Caleb’s hand and pulled him away. As soon as Molly heard the door close behind Caleb, he dropped the  humans hand, spun around and threw his arms over Caleb’s shoulders. He leaned up and caught the surprised smile with a kiss, pushing right up against his  wizards chest. He could feel his tail swishing happily behind him when Caleb kissed back without hesitation, warm hands around Molly’s waist. 

“Thank you” he breathed as they broke apart

“For what?” Caleb chuckled, undoing the last two buttons on Molly’s shirt for him.

“For dancing with me” Molly slid his arms out of his shirt, letting it fall to the floor. 

Caleb’s expression softened, he pulled Molly’s hands up and pressed kisses along the knuckles, looking at him through lidded eyes

“You know I would do anything for you  _ Süsser”  _

Molly felt like his heart might just burst from his chest, the look in Caleb’s eyes was something he could only call adoration. He pulled his hands back gently, tugging the hem of the borrowed turtleneck out of the also-borrowed slacks and smiling to himself as Caleb lifted his arms to help Molly remove it. They left a trail of clothes on the way to the bed, pulling on the pajama pants that had been discarded there that morning. They fell into bed as if they had been doing it for years, wrapping comfortably around each other, lulled to sleep by the sound of their lover breathing. 

\----

Molly wanted to  _ die _ . It was 6am (6:14, according to Caleb), he was dressed in a stolen pair of Caleb’s softest sweatpants and one of his  Zadash U hoodies. He was holding a mug of coffee and waiting for the headache meds to be passed around the table to him. Beau, Fjord and Caleb all looked similarly horrible, dark circles under their eyes and expressions that varied from I-Would-Like-To-Pass-Out-Now (Fjord and Caleb) to I-Will-Murder-The-Next-Person-Who-Talks-Above-A-Whisper (Beau and Molly). Jester and Caduceus, of course, were perfectly fine thanks to their habit of sticking to juice or tea or  water ... Yasha and Veth just looked like they had missed a couple hours of sleep. 

Once everyone who needed them had been given meds, and the last sips of coffee finished, they cleaned up the last of their garbage and loaded up the van. Molly was infinitely thankful for Jesters habit of covering everything with blankets, because it meant the metal floor of the  Stormcloud was  actually reasonably comfortable. Yasha drove first, Beau sitting up front with her, the low buzz of their voices just audible from where Molly was sitting. He and Caleb had curled back up in the same corner as last time, backs pressed to the wall between the truck bed and the cabin. 

He couldn’t get over the difference between drives though. On the way up, he had been trying so hard to comfort Caleb without crossing any lines, trying to give the man space. Now they were heading home, and they were  _ together.  _ Both wearing Caleb’s comfortable clothes, with Caleb’s arms draped loosely over his shoulders and Molly’s tail wrapped around the  humans ankle under the fluffy blanket they had claimed. 

Molly wasn’t up for singing just yet, his head was pounding and  honestly he just wanted to sleep... which is exactly what he did. Everyone in the back other than Caduceus drifted in and out of sleep over the next 4 hours. Waking only when Yasha pulled into a rest stop, Caleb once again disguising all of them so they could run bathroom breaks and get snacks.

Plus more  caffeine ... and water (but only because Yasha guilted them into it)

It was nearly midnight by the time they reached the safehouse. Caleb had disguised them during their last rest stop, making all of them look completely human. Molly still found it odd to catch sight of himself in the car mirror and see a tanned human, with dark curly hair and warm brown eyes. Especially since he also lost his tattoos. Dairon was also disguised, they looked like a pale human woman dressed in modest business attire, blonde hair pulled back in a severe bun and a matching severe expression on their face. 

“You’re the new tenants I presume?” their voice was neutral, unaffected 

Beau nodded, looking very strange with a blue buzzcut and brown eyes in a paler face than usual. 

“Let me show you inside” they clicked a button on a handheld fob and the garage opened up “feel free to park in there, it’s empty” 

The house was one of a dozen tall skinny townhouses, three stories with a built-in garage and steps that lead to the front door. Judging by the state of the houses around them, Molly was willing to bet that most of the tenants were students. Dairon led the group up the four steps and unlocked the door, Yasha followed a moment later as the sound of the garage closing came from behind them. The stepped into a modest front hall, with a shoe rack and several hooks on the walls. There was a staircase across from the door, plus a hallway off to the side and two more closed doors. 

“Bedrooms are upstairs, divide them however you want. Kitchen is down here, that’s the garage door” Dairon indicated the closest of the closed doors “and that one is a bathroom” they indicated the other. “There are four bedrooms, two more bathrooms, laundry is in the garage, and the back yard is fenced. I wouldn’t suggest going out there without a disguise however, unless you have plans to add extra wards to the place. Ours cover the inside, feel free to add whatever else just make sure I can get through them”

Caleb and Beau were both nodding along with this, Molly was trying his best to pay attention but sixteen hours in a car had just made him want a real bed. Dairon was going over something else, something about their personal items....

“How do we get our clothes and stuff?” Molly asked, realizing belatedly that he only had what they packed to go up north. 

“We’re sending in operatives to gather everything, though the... level of protective magic on the apartment has made it difficult so far” 

Molly felt a little thrill of pride, of  _ course _ it was difficult, Caleb had done it! He smiled over at his wizard, impressed as always by his skill. Caleb blushed a bit and looked at the floor, before looking back up at Dairon.

“If I came with you and removed them... I know we can’t take everything at once, it would be too obvious, but that way your ah... operatives could get in more easily?”

“Caleb” Beau glared “the whole point is to keep you  _ away  _ from the apartment” 

Dairon looked thoughtful though “well, if I take him in disguise and we only stay long enough to adjust the wards” she frowned, clearly thinking it through “I wouldn’t say to remove them completely, it’s too obvious, but adjusting them would work” 

“Dairon!” Beau sputtered, annoyed “seriously?” 

Dairon ignored her, making Beau’s neck flush with anger as she glared daggers at her mentor. Molly hummed thoughtfully... he didn’t like the idea that much either, but it would be up to Caleb... and  as long as Dairon was with him... he sighed. Things had been so much easier at the cabin. 

Dairon handed out keys to each of them, made plans to pick Caleb up sometime in the afternoon, and was gone. Yasha and Beau unloaded the van, piling their bags up in the hallway. Jester had run off to pick a room, she and Veth would share for a few days before Veth went back to her own place. It turned out there were two bedrooms and a bathroom on the upper floors. There was also a small sitting area off the kitchen, complete with some comfortable looking chairs, a sofa and a DVD/VHS player. 

“Do you have a preference for rooms Mollymauk?” Caleb asked him as they grabbed their bags

“ Oh Mister Caleb, aren’t  _ you _ forward, assuming we’ll share a room” he teased, smirking at his wizard. Caleb chuckled and took his free hand. 

They ended up taking the front facing room on the top floor, because Jester wanted the one at the back of the house (“streetlights are like  _ so _ annoying!”). There were two double beds in each room, solid but plain, and a matching dresser. Luckily for Molly, there was also a small closet for hanging clothes, so his nicer stuff wouldn’t get ruined. They would  definitely have to store some stuff in the garage while they were here... maybe he and Yasha could make a run to the store for storage containers. Molly never had trusted cardboard boxes, and Caleb’s books wouldn’t all fit here. 

Though... Molly realized as he dug out some pajamas, there was no guarantee they would be leaving the apartment forever. There was a chance that they would get the cult dealt with, the Crowns Guard or the Soul might catch them, and then they could go home... It was a slim chance, and he knew it, but there  _ was  _ a chance. Caleb would be free and clear, and Molly’s past was long since dealt with so that wouldn’t be a problem. 

They could go home, maybe? 

They could spend their nights together,  amalgamate the two rooms into one and leave the second as a spare. They could go back to quiet mornings of coffee and breakfast... Caleb would finish his degree, maybe get a job with the university (he would make a wonderful teacher after all). Molly would get famous, get a deal, maybe tour. He would always come home though, home to Caleb... 

The two of them changed, Caleb pulling him into bed easily. A double bed doesn’t seem too small when you’re with the person you love, after all. 

\----

They spent the next morning crowded around the kitchen table. It was far too early again, and Molly  really just wanted to go back to bed, but this concerned  everyone so he was  making an effort to stay awake. Beau, Fjord, and Jester still had classes and jobs they had to get to, while he, Veth and Cad still had jobs. They couldn’t be  scryed on sure, but if they were spotted at the campus or their work and followed home then all the protective shit in the world wouldn’t stop the cult from knowing where they were. 

The plan thus far was to have everyone leave in disguise, and then drop the disguises once they were where they needed to be and pick them back up once they were heading home. The only problem being that Caleb, Veth, Fjord and Jester were the only ones who knew how to do that. That meant Molly, Yasha, Caduceus and Beau were kind of screwed. 

“Aren’t there like... magical objects we could get? Something that would let us be disguised when we needed to without  casting a spell?” Beau asked, brow furrowed “I swear I read about it somewhere...”

Caleb nodded “ _ ja _ , the most common is a Hat of Disguise. You probably read about it in those Vox Machina books you like, one of them had one” (“oh!” said Beau, nodding) “but I do not know where we would get one... let alone four”

Veth looked at Caleb curiously “do you think you could make them? Like you did with the amulets?” 

Molly was sure he could, but Caleb only shrugged, looking doubtful. They really needed to work on his self-confidence... Molly frowned, his wizard was so damned smart and he never seemed to believe it. 

“I’ll ask Dairon today” Beau shrugged now “maybe the Soul has them... like the Crowns Guard had the amulet for Caleb” 

That decided, the others all dispersed off to their classes or jobs, Caleb pulled out his laptop and notebooks, setting up at the kitchen table. Molly went back to sleep, he had work tonight after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooohkay it's here! Sorry again for the wait, thanks for sticking with me! 💗💗  
> Hopefully the next chapter won't fight me so hard! 
> 
> Also, sorry it's shorter than usual, I /was/ initially planning to have a smutty bit at the begininning there, but opted for a fade to black instead and had to cut a chunk out 😅


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frumpkin! Getting Settled! Essek!

Part One

Molly

Molly woke a few hours later to something cool and smooth touching his nose. He opened his eyes groggily to find a pair of large golden eyes staring back at him.

“Mrrrp” 

Molly chuckled “oh hello Frumpy, I see you found the place okay”

The familiar leaned in and rubbed his cheek against Molly’s face, purring loudly. Molly sat up, scooping the cuddly  fae cat into his arms and nuzzling him back.

“I’m glad to see you too kitty cat” 

He sat there, cuddling up with  Frumpkin , genuinely surprised by how much he had missed the little furball during the last few weeks. He had never had a pet of his own, and never really thought about getting one, but... he had  definitely gotten attached. 

Suddenly he realized he could hear voices downstairs... he had only been asleep a few hours judging by how groggy he felt. He stood, carrying  Frumpkin over to the dresser and setting him down.

“Who’s down there Frumpy? Do we have a guest or is someone skipping class?” 

He pulled out some plain black skinny jeans and the  Zadash U hoodie that he had essentially claimed as his own. He eyed his reflection in the mirror... he  _ could _ take the time to put on his horn jewelry and makeup... but it would just get in the way when he had to change for work. He turned to the cat and winked

“Gorgeous as always, right sir?”  Frumpkin purred in response, which Molly decided to take it as an affermative.

He held out his arms and  Frumpkin climbed into them, crawling up to settle around Molly’s shoulders the same way he often did with Caleb. He wandered down the stairs, he could still hear the voices, but it was clear now that they were actively speaking softly. He hummed to himself as he turned the corner into the kitchen. His eyes caught on Caleb where the man stood, leaning against the table with a mug of coffee in his hand. He had on the same plain grey  v-neck on as he had this morning, with the black joggers Molly liked, looking perfectly at ease. 

He was just  _ too _ handsome, all soft and domestic... it set Mollys heart fluttering. 

“Darling, look who came to wake me up, isn’t he just the sweetest?” 

Molly smiled as Caleb’s eyes took in the cat cuddled up across his shoulders. The wizard returned the smile, tutting in a  good-natured way

“ Frumpkin , I know you missed your dear friend, but you know better than to wake our  Mollymauk up on a workday”

Molly felt a little thrill in his stomach at that...  _ our  _ _ Mollymauk _ . Oh, he could  definitely get used to that. He walked forward,  Frumpkin jumping from his shoulders to the table and meowing up at them. 

“I didn’t mind really darling... however...” he drawled, putting on his more flirtatious smirk “I can  definitely think of  _ better _ ways to be woken up, would you like to hear a few?” 

Caleb’s cheeks went one of Molly’s  favourite shades of pink, lips parted ever so slightly as he tried to find a response. Molly waited, smirk in place, for his flustered partner to find his voice again. 

Finally, Caleb cleared his throat “ah- maybe we could talk about that when- when we don’t have company  _ Kätzchen _ _?”  _

Oh right, the other voice he had heard from upstairs, Molly had completely forgotten about that. He turned and felt his smirk drop. Standing across from him, watching with amusement on his almost too-perfect face, was  Essek . He was dressed far too nicely as usual, in tailored black pants and a black dress shirt with fine silver buttons. He had silver collar pins in the shape of Luxon Beacons, with a fine silver chain attaching them and a black wide brimmed hat sat on the counter next to him. The usual earrings were there, but now his left ear held two small but perfect diamonds. The outfit suited him, clearly expensive but not too showy.

Molly hated it. 

“Essek” he tried to keep his voice neutral “I was under the impression you wouldn’t be joining us until later” 

Essek’s responding smile was just shy of mocking “I think we may have a different idea of what constitutes later  Mollymauk ” 

Molly glanced at the clock on the microwave and pouted, it was already 4:14pm, he had somehow managed to sleep the whole day away. He could have  _ sworn _ he had only been out for a couple hours but... well, that was fine. He didn't have work until 7, plenty of time to get ready. 

Wait... If he had slept all day... He whipped back to stare at Caleb, the human caught the look on his face and bit his lip

“Caleb...”

“ _ Ja _ Mollymauk ?” 

“Did you go back to the apartment without me?”

Caleb fidgeted with the mug in his hand, turning it around and staring into the coffee.

“Well... I  didn't want to wake you  _ Schatz”  _

Molly glared in annoyance. He had gone with that Dairon person,  _ without _ Molly, to an apartment surrounded by people who wanted to  _ kill him _ ... and he hadn’t even thought to wake Molly up to say goodbye. 

“Caleb, that was  _ dangerous”  _ he said, trying not to pout “you could have been seen, or hurt! I know that Dairon is supposed to be some super powerful monk or whatever but still!” He was definitely pouting now “what if something had happened? If I woke up and you were gone or hurt or...” 

He trailed off, trying to push the image of Caleb bleeding out on their couch into the back of his mind. This wasn’t like that, he was fine, he was right here and he was  _ fine _ . Still, Molly found himself staring more intently at his partner, checking as subtly as possible for any potential injuries. 

He clearly wasn’t being that subtle, as Caleb set down his coffee and took the  Tieflings hands in his. 

“ Mollymauk _ ” _ Molly bit his lip, staring pointedly down at their hands “ _ Süsser _ _ bitte _ , look at me hm?” 

He looked up reluctantly, Caleb’s expression was warm, a soft smile on his face and unfiltered affection in his eyes. 

“I am sorry I didn’t wake you, truly. If I had thought for a moment that I was in danger I would have done so” he reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a slip of paper “I wrote a note, I left it here in case you woke up while I was gone but you were still sleeping when I returned so I was going to get rid of it” 

Molly felt himself blush, feeling ridiculous for his reaction. Of course Caleb would have left a note, and probably had his phone on him the whole time too... Molly sighed. 

“I’m sorry love, being back...” he trailed off

“It is more stressful than we expected I think” Caleb finished, pulling Molly’s hand up and kissing his knuckles “it will take some getting used to”

Caleb straightened up, keeping on of Molly’s hands in his but looking back towards the kitchen counter. 

Fuck, right...  Essek .

“Shall we get to work then  _ Freund _ ?” 

Essek was looking between the two of them curiously, clearly putting pieces together in his mind. Molly straightened up as well, letting his tail brush across Calebs leg as he stared down the handsome  drow .  Essek turned a charming smile on Caleb and nodded.

“Absolutely, let’s begin”

Molly felt Caleb squeeze his hand gently before he let it go, grabbing his book and his component pouch. Molly walked over to the coffee maker, glaring at the fashionable hat on his counter as he made a mug of coffee.

“Oh,  Mollymauk ?” he turned to look back at Caleb, who smiled at him “there is a box in the living room with your name on it” 

Molly tilted his head curiously, but Caleb only winked and headed for the front door. Excitement and curiosity bubbling in his chest, Molly practically skipped to the living room with his coffee in hand. There were four boxes sitting on the floor by the coffee table. He set the mug down on the table, valiantly trying to ignore the voices from the front hall. He recognized Calebs sharp writing on the tops of each box, they were labelled “kitchen”, “bathroom”, “Caleb” and “ Mollymauk ”. 

Molly tugged the flaps of his box open and gasped happily as he realized what was inside. Clothes, his velvets and silks and leather and denim! He pulled out a few carefully folded pieces, heart swelling at how much care Caleb had put into keeping them neat. The box held probably a quarter of his wardrobe, but the pieces in it were most of his  favourites . Molly felt that familiar tug of affection for his wizard, the man would have had to dig through his whirlwind of a room to find some of this stuff. But he  _ had _ , he had gone to the trouble of finding things we knew Molly loved, bringing him just a bit of home in the  beaten-up cardboard box. 

Down near the bottom of the box, Molly felt his fingers hit something hard. Brow furrowed with confusion, he gripped it and tugged, pulling the unknown object from under his clothes. It was a small wooden box, the kind Caddy used to store his tea leaves... it even still smelt a little bit like the sleepy tea that Caleb liked. Confused about why Caleb would have put a box of tea into his clothing box, Molly jiggled the box lightly. Instead of the shuffling sound that tea leaves made however... there was a clinking noise.

Molly’s eyes went wide and he slid the lid off slowly, gasping again as he saw what was inside. His jewelry! All the pieces that he had left behind, the chains that he knew were too much for anything but shows, the long necklaces that would have tangled with his scarves. He pulled out a few pieces, tail waving happily behind him as he laid them out on the table. He sat for a moment, just enjoying how the light from the window played off of the pretty stones and gold. A flash of something rainbow made him squint, and he looked back down into the box. 

There, under a few necklaces, was something he didn’t recognize. He pulled it out by the delicate silver chain and felt his eyes go wide. At the end of the chain was a charm, about an inch or two around, in the shape of a twelve pointed starburst. The sun caught it and Molly felt his chest constrict as the sparkling crystal threw little rainbows all across the room. It was  _ beautiful,  _ dancing rainbow lights all around the walls, his hands and the other jewelry. Where Caleb could have found this he had no idea, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was from Caleb. 

“Caleb...” he sighed to himself, because of  _ course _ the silly man would tuck it away like this instead of just giving it to him.

He hopped up, charm in hand, and turned towards the front hall. He could just barely see the two wizards there, they stood close together with heads bent over Caleb’s book.  Essek pointed a perfectly manicured finger at something on the page, saying something as he looked up at Caleb. Caleb laughed, shrugging as he responded. He looked back to the page but  Esseks eyes stayed on the human, there was a calculating look in them that Molly didn’t like. 

And an  obvious attraction that he  _ hated _ . 

Molly felt the smile slip off his face, replaced by a pout. Watching them together was harder than it should have been. The easy way they talked, along with the fact that as much as he didn’t like  Essek , Molly knew he was the only person Caleb knew who loved magic the same way he did. They made an almost sweet image, Caleb in his casual clothes and  Essek looking put together. Molly realized it must be similar to how he and Caleb looked. 

He shouldn’t be jealous... but...

Sure, Caleb liked being with him  _ now _ , but what if he got bored? Molly knew he was fun, and gorgeous, and talented (of course he knew, how could he not?), but  Essek was handsome, and  _ smart _ and he liked the same things as Caleb. Plus, Caleb seemed to find him funny. The dry humor that Molly loved so much from the human was frustratingly close to that of the  drow . 

They were doing magic, and suddenly Molly realized why the rainbow lights from the crystal seemed so comforting. Caleb’s eyes had lit up, little sparks of  colour dancing in the blue iris’s while he worked the spell. It was beautiful, mesmerizing even, and Molly walked closer to watch. He pulled out his phone, clicking open the camera and zooming in on Caleb’s face. He stopped filming as the spell came to an end, the wizards nodded to each other and smiled. Molly coughed.

“Yes  _ Kätzchen _ _?” _ Caleb said warmly, turning to smile at him. Molly couldn’t help but smile back, how could he ever resist that?

He walked forward, holding up his hand and letting the crystal dangle and catch the pale like coming in through the front window. Caleb blushed when he saw it. 

Ignoring  Essek (well, mostly... the extra sway in his walk wasn’t  _ just _ for Caleb’s benefit) he draped his arms over Caleb’s shoulders, pressing their foreheads together. Caleb’s free hand rested gently on his hip automatically.

“ _ This _ , is absolutely beautiful and I cannot believe you tried to sneak it into my  jewelry without saying anything you silly man” 

The blush only got deeper across Caleb’s cheeks “well uh... I thought it would be a nice surprise” 

Molly chuckled “ mhmm , okay darling if you say so” 

He leaned in and kissed Caleb’s cheek, lingering so he could whisper (just loud enough that he  _ knew _ Essek would hear it) 

“I’ll have to show you  _ just _ how nice of a surprise when I get home” 

He felt the hand on his hip squeeze slightly as Caleb swallowed audibly. 

“W-well” he started, and Molly had to admit that the stutter was adorable “I suppose I will see you when you get home then” 

“Oh too right you will” 

With one last light kiss on the cheek, Molly went back to the living room, grabbed his box of clothes and headed upstairs. He waved his fingers as he passed 

“Thelyss”

The  drow had that calculating look in his eyes  again when he nodded to Molly, before turning back to Caleb and starting to say something about the next ward.

Molly spent some time getting his clothes put away in one side of the dresser, leaving room for Caleb’s stuff. He left the  jewelry box on the top of the dresser, pulling out a few pieces that he wanted to wear that night. He could hear people coming home while he was mulling over clothing choices, tonight was a bartending night, not a gig. He still liked to dress up but he wasn’t about to waste a show-worthy outfit on a night when the chances of having something alcoholic spilled on him were this high. 

He had just finished his makeup (keeping it simple with glittery black eyeliner, deep purple lip-gloss, mascara and highlighter) when there was a light knock on his door, and he looked over as Yasha pushed it open with a smile. 

“Hey Mols, almost ready?”

He sighed dramatically and waved a hand at the bed. Laying there were three shirts that he couldn’t decide between, they would all work with the ripped black skinny jeans and makeup choices but...

“It’s my first night back after  _ two weeks _ ! I need to look good!” 

Yasha rolled her eyes “you look good in everything Molly, you know that” 

“Yes but which one of these will I look  _ best _ in?”

She sighed, turned towards the bed and stared for a moment before picking up a shirt. It was one of his vintage button ups with the extra-wide lapels and cuffed sleeves. It was deep purple, nearly black really, with an abstract pattern of stars in muted oranges, yellows and blues. He pulled it on, tucking half into his jeans and leaving the other half out, leaving most of the buttons undone. He stepped back enough that he could see his whole image in the wall mirror and... yes. 

“Darling you are too good at this”

“I’ve just spent too many years dealing with your clothing  crises ” 

He smirked at her, quickly tucking the un-chosen clothes away and grabbing his boots. He blew a kiss to Caleb as they left, enjoying the wide-eyed expression on the humans face when he caught sight of Molly. 

The trip to the bar was easy enough, no one paid them much mind even though Molly was definitely paranoid the whole way there. Gus smiled when he caught sight of them coming into the bar, saying something to the customer he had been talking to and following them to the back room.

“Welcome back, glad to see you’re alright” 

Molly went in for a hug, laughing as the older man awkwardly patted his back. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed the half-elf. 

“It’s good to be home, I’m actually looking forward to work”

Gus rolled his eyes and looked to Yasha while jabbing a thumb in Molly’s direction

“He hit his head while you were away or what?” 

Molly smacked Gus’s shoulder playfully. It really was good to be home. 

Part Two

Caleb

Caleb watched, flustered, as  Mollymauk disappeared up the stairs. He knew he was still blushing, and his heart was pounding to a point that he was sure  Essek could hear it. The only reason he was able to stop himself from  _ following _ the Tiefling upstairs was the fact that they had only completed one ward.  There was so much to do... even so, excuses (feeble as they were) swam to the front of his mind.

“So, shall we continue?” 

Caleb jumped slightly, turning back to smile sheepishly at his friend. 

“Ah,  _ ja  _ I am sorry, I... was distracted” 

Essek smirked “I noticed” he waved away Caleb’s attempt to apologize again

“Not to worry, I understand” silvery eyes watched him with what looked like teasing “I suppose your mister Tealeaf has a habit of being... distracting”

“You could say that, yes” Caleb chuckled, relaxing. 

They worked in silence for a while, setting up the dispel magic barrier on the front door, ensuring they extended it to the garage door as well. 

“I meant to ask”  Essek started, as they set up for the next spell on the back door “you mentioned working on anti-scrying charms, how did they go?” 

“Oh quite well!” Caleb said, feeling the enthusiasm that a personal project always brought on “we’re all covered now, I’m even considering making one for  Frumpkin ... though I’m not sure it’s necessary as he doesn’t leave the house unless he’s with me”

Essek nodded “understandable, that’s quite a feat though” he turned and smiled at Caleb “I’m very impressed”

Caleb blushed and looked away,  Essek was like himself in that smiles were rare, and having one turned on him along with praise was always hard for Caleb to accept.  Essek was a full year of study ahead, a prodigy and incredibly brilliant. Caleb just felt honored that the other wizard even spoke to him, let alone considered him a friend. 

“Ah well,  _ danke _ , it was definitely more complicated to work out than I had anticipated, but it was worth it” 

“Do you know if your apartment is still being watched?” 

Caleb hummed an affirmative “it was when we went by there today, they were disguised of course but Dairon recognized them” 

Essek frowned at that, making a concerned noise “and they can’t simply... take the culprits in?” 

Caleb shook his head “no, any attempt would likely result in a fight, and if they  _ did _ manage to take the two spying in...” he sighed “well, they would lose out on the leader, which would only serve in delaying whatever he is planning”

At this point,  Mollymauk called a goodbye from the front hall. Caleb turned and stared, why did the man always have to look so good? The wizard loved when his wild,  colourful partner was dressed in his pajamas and hoodies... or loose, oversized t-shirts and those billowy pants he liked to lounge in. But... there was something about  Mollymauk in all his ridiculous glory that just drove him mad.

Essek was quiet again, clearly thinking about what he had said while they set up the spell. The got the wards on the door set up, and even managed to get anti-scrying and filtering wards placed on the small back yard. At least everyone would be able to go outside without having to be disguised now, he knew Caduceus would like having a little garden.

By the time they were done, it was dark and the others had all returned (save for  Mollymauk and Yasha of course). Beau and Jester had brought in bags of groceries, and Caduceus had whipped them up a tasty dinner. 

“Are you going to stay  Essek ?” Jester asked cheerfully “we have like  _ tons _ of food! And Beau even grabbed wine! Or we have juice, or tea, or milk! Caddy and I don’t drink alcohol you know but everyone else here does so it’s not like... we’re  gonna _ judge _ you or something dumb like that. Just we  _ do  _ have non-alcoholic stuff is all” 

Caleb fought back a laugh as  Essek tried to comprehend all of that, Jester’s enthusiasm could be a bit overwhelming if you weren’t used to it. 

“I wouldn’t want to intrude-”  Essek started  politely

“Oh it’s  _ totally  _ not intruding! We’d love to have you! You’re Caleb’s friend so we want to get to know you too!”

“Gotta make sure you’re not like...  _ secretly evil _ or something” Beau added, eyeing  Essek suspiciously

“Or a bad influence on my boy!” Veth crossed her arms “We’ve got enough of that already” she mumbled the last bit, joining Beau in narrowing her eyes.

“Company is always nice” Caduceus chimed in serenely while Fjord pressed his hands into his face in frustration. 

Essek blinked, looking around the table in clear confusion and Caleb finally couldn’t hold back the chuckle.

“You are welcome my __ _ freund _ , really” the  drow looked at him, one perfect brow raised as he tilted his head towards the others “they don’t mean any harm, or insult, they are just... enthusiastic” 

There was a mild uproar from Beau and Veth, but Caduceus was smiling kindly at the confused guest. 

“Well... alright, thank you for inviting me?” 

A cheer went up around the table, Fjord had dropped his head onto the tabletop but raised a hand half-heartedly while the others cheered. Caleb smiled warmly around at his family, landing on  Essek with a ‘what-can-you-do' shrug.  Essek laughed and shook his head in response. 

The next few hours went by quickly, Jester, Veth and Beau interrogated  Essek with varying levels of hostility. Beau and Veth decided by halfway through the meal that he wasn’t a threat and was in fact “just a giant nerd like Caleb” (Beaus words), which turned the hostility into cheeky teasing. Caleb mostly watched, occasionally throwing out some obscure comment to fuel them into further questioning.  Essek took it all in stride, laughing and giving the most vague answers possible just for the fun of it. Fjord managed to get him talking about magic around desert, and that spiraled into a nearly hour long conversation. 

Caduceus had excused himself first, tired after a long day of work, followed a few minutes later by Fjord. The half-orc calling back that next time  Essek came by they should continue their discussion, and thanking him for being patient with all Fjords questions (Caleb was certain his friend had loved getting to answer them). Beau and Veth were practically falling asleep at the table when Jester finally dragged them upstairs with a cheerful “good-night!”. Caleb sighed, shut his eyes, and leaned back in his chair, sipping his now cooled tea

“Well, they  _ are _ a fascinating bunch aren’t they?” 

He opened his eyes and smiled over at his friend,  Essek was also nursing a mug of tea, having said no to a second glass of wine hours before. 

“Oh  _ ja _ , they are a lot to get used to” Caleb chuckled “but they are good people, kind, and fiercely loyal”

“I shudder to think what would have become of me if Beauregard decided I was a  _ secretly evil”  _

Caleb smirked at that “oh, she can be terrifying sure, but the one you  _ really _ need to watch out for is Veth”

Essek looked surprised at that “oh?”

Caleb hummed the affirmative “there is far more to her than her appearance would imply, if she decided you were an enemy well” he drew a thumb across his throat with an exaggerated wink.

Essek huffed out a laugh, but the sound cut off suddenly as the smile dropped from his face. Caleb raised an eyebrow, looking behind himself into the living room. There was nothing there... he turned back to the  drow with his confusion clear on his face.

“Your neck”

Oh. Right. Caleb felt a jolt, he had forgotten about the scar. It was high up enough on his neck that most people wouldn’t notice it when they spoke to him face on. However, in play acting slitting his throat (which now felt like a  _ much _ darker joke, admittedly) he had exposed it. His cheeks flared red and he looked down at the table, rubbing circles into his left palm with his right thumb, trying to resist picking up the scarf that hung by the back door.

“Ah... yes, that... would you believe I cut myself shaving?” he attempted a smile but knew it must be a  shaky , weak thing.

“No”  Essek paused, concern on his face “but I could pretend to, if you’d like” 

Caleb really did smile this time, fondly over at his friend. He had known  Essek since first year, though the  drow was technically a year ahead of him. They had become fast friends, and Caleb appreciated having another wizard around to talk magic with. 

He shook his head “ _ nein _ , I-I appreciate it, but it’s fine” he took a breath “this is from the attack, the one that prompted me to ask for your assistance at the apartment”

Essek looked shocked briefly, perhaps he hadn’t made the severity  of the attack as clear as he had thought.

“I was... well, my attacker came disguised and enchanted me so I wouldn’t notice it” he grimaced at the memory “if the others hadn’t arrived when they did... well, quite simply I would be dead”

Essek took that information in, watching Caleb over the rim of his mug for a moment. His expression was serious, concern still showing in his pale eyes

“Caleb... feel free to refuse to answer this but... who  _ are _ these attackers, and why are they so intent on killing you?” 

Caleb sighed, he had thought this might happen. He had managed to keep his past away from  Essek since they met, the same way he had done with everyone else (except Beau, Veth and the Dr of course)... But here it was. He could either tell his friend all of it, and risk losing him, or he could beg off and only give the most basic details.

“They... were my best friends growing up...”

Essek listened as Caleb told his story, spilled the entire sordid affair out over the plain kitchen table and cold tea. By the time he finished, the lights in the other houses had gone out, leaving them in that strange in-between where the whole world seems to be asleep while you are awake. He took a deep breath as he finished catching  Essek up, drinking the last sip of the chilly beverage and sighing

“I do not believe the plan was to kill me” he paused “or, at least, not permanently”

“You think they intended to take your body to a second location and revive you?” 

“Exactly, yes. Once I was subdued and away from any  interruption ” 

Essek nodded “well, that follows how they seem to operate. Isolation and fear seem to be their go to tactics” 

Caleb nodded again, looking into his empty mug and waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

“Well, I’ll see what the Den knows about this  _ cult.  _ I’m sure someone will have heard of them” 

Caleb looked up so quickly he heard his neck click, he knew he must look as surprised as he felt, because  Essek smiled gently at him. 

“I do not think any less of you” the  drow reached out and put a hand on Caleb’s wrist, squeezing gently “you were a  _ child _ Caleb, you are not at fault” he paused again, still smiling “and knowing you as you are now, I am certain these are not things you would do of your own volition” 

Caleb nodded, fighting back grateful tears. If  Essek noticed, he said nothing, only gave Caleb’s wrist one more comforting squeeze before letting go. He stood, and Caleb copied the motion, waiting while his friend stretched.

“Now, I have had a wonderful time, but it is very late and I have classes tomorrow so...”

“Oh!  _ Ja _ , of course” Caleb led the way to the door to see  Essek out “you are welcome back any time of course, and thank you again for all of your help... and for... well...” he trailed off, unsure how to phrase what he was trying to say.

“It was no trouble”  Essek pulled on his coat and boots “I will come by again sometime soon, we can work through some of the  Dunamancy coursework, since you’re working from home now”. He put on his hat and smiled warmly at Caleb again “I admit I will miss having you in class, I enjoyed having someone clever to speak with, but the precaution is a good one” 

“Ah- Yes, I agree” Caleb nodded, face flushed at the praise 

“Goodnight Caleb”

“ _ Guten _ _ Nacht  _ Essek”

Caleb wandered back to the kitchen, replaying their conversation in his head as he cleaned up the remaining dishes. Telling the people he cared about his story was far easier than it used to be, it brought on a special kind of warmth in his chest to think about it. They had all been so supportive, and kind.

He smiled to himself, placing the mugs in the drying rack, grabbing the box of his clothes from the living room and heading for the stairs. It was nights like this that he found himself believing that maybe he wasn’t a monster after all. Wouldn’t Doctor Pike be proud of him at their virtual session? 

He was still smiling while he unpacked what clothing he had been able to bring. There wasn’t much, but he would be home most of the time and figured he really hadn’t needed much.  Mollymauk had left him one side of the dresser, so he loaded everything in. He pulled on a pair of clean pajamas, tossing his clothes into the hamper by the door, and climbed into bed. It was odd too sleep in a bed that wasn’t his, while also  _ being _ his...sort of. He missed the comfort and familiarity of the apartment, he had lived there nearly two years. It had been his first real home in so long... 

He sighed, rolling over to face the wall,  Mollymauk preferred the outside edge of the bed, while Caleb preferred the inner one. He knew the Tiefling would be home in a few hours, and that he didn’t need to worry about him getting home safe.  Mollymauk was with Yasha, and he could take care of himself on top of that... plus he had the amulet. 

Caleb couldn’t help but worry though, images of the attack at the apartment... those first few confused moments when the pain registered but his foggy mind couldn’t figure it out.  Mollymauk just didn’t  _ fit _ with pain, and he had been certain it  _ was _ Mollymauk with him at the time. 

He shook his head, trying to clear it, obviously it hadn’t been  Mollymauk , he would never hurt Caleb like that. The wards would protect the whole family from another attack like that, and the amulets would make it much harder for them to be followed or found. As long as they were careful, they would be okay. They could give the Soul and the Crowns Gaurd time to find and take down Ikithon. 

They would be okay.

Caleb passed the next two hours fitfully, anytime he finally fell asleep he was bombarded with images of his past, of Wulf and Astrid and all the horrible things they had done. He was so tightly wound that when he heard the creaking of the front door, he nearly jumped out of bed. Instead, he lay still and quiet, trying to calm his racing heart and remind himself that the wards were up. He was jumping at shadows. 

The bedroom door opened quietly, and Caleb listened to the familiar sound of  Mollymauk getting ready for bed. The slight jingle as he took off his jewelry, the sound of a buckle undoing on his jeans, the soft padding of his footsteps as he left for the bathroom. Caleb could hear the water turn on, and he waited, tense and annoyed with himself for allowing the stress to get to him. Finally he heard the bedroom door click behind  Mollymauk , and the sound of light footsteps before the Tiefling slid under the covers. 

Mollymauk shifted in close, pressing flush against Caleb’s back and sliding an arm around his waist so that the warm lavender hand pressed flat against Calebs chest. There was a pause, and Caleb cursed himself for not being able to slow his heartbeat or relax the tense muscles of his back.

“Darling...?”  Mollymauks voice was barely a whisper, quiet enough that if Caleb  _ had  _ been sleeping he wouldn’t have woken. 

He sighed, pressing closer to  Mollymauk and holding his hand against the one on his chest

“Are you okay?” the worry in the soft voice was nearly too much, and Caleb couldn't lie... he shook his head.  Mollymauk kissed the back of his head, speaking into his hair

“What can I do love? Is it nightmares again?” 

Caleb nodded, because yes, technically they were nightmares even if he would barely count what he had been doing as sleep.  Mollymauk hummed into his hair before pulling away, the fact that he kept his hand on Calebs chest was the only reason the human resisted whining at the loss of contact. He was so tired, and the awful images seemed to have burned themselves onto his vision now.

“Come here love”  Mollymauk whispered, tugging Calebs hand and pulling him around so they were face to face. Concern shone from the faintly luminescent scarlet eyes as he searched Caleb’s face.  Mollymauk leaned in and kissed him lightly, lips warm and still faintly sticky from the just-removed lip gloss. Caleb kissed back hungrily, the sensation helping to wipe the images from his brain as the hand he had been holding came to rest on his cheek. Caleb felt  Mollymauk slid his other arm between the humans neck and the pillow, pulling him in so they were flush again, legs tangled in the now familiar way. After a moment,  Mollymauk broke the kiss, looking into Caleb’s eyes again

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

Caleb shook his head, just having the steadying heat of his partner pressed against him was comfort enough. He could feel his eyes drooping closed already, exhausted from the long day of school and magic and stress.  Mollymauk smiled at him and nodded, kissing his forehead lightly before shuffling their position slightly. Caleb found himself being held with his hands pressed to the lavender chest and his head just below  Mollymauks chin. One warm arm was thrown over his shoulder, holding him close while the other was above his head and tucked under the now unused pillow. He felt his heartbeat slow further as sleep rushed forward to meet him, this time without the unwanted dreams. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! This chapter didn't fight nearly as hard, hopefully the next will behave too!
> 
> Essek is back and getting actual dialogue! Molly is a silly jealous babe and Frumpkin loves him. One more person is in on the drama that is Caleb's life and that's neat. I hope y'all liked this one, I felt the need for soft babes again.
> 
> Molly's new trinket: https://imagehost.vendio.com/a/8083760/aview/LILYABTWINKLE4.jpg  
> It's technically a suncatcher but in my brain it would make a perfect horn charm if it was just a touch smaller sooooo that's what I did 😂
> 
> ALSO!!! LOOK AT THIS ADORABLE ART FROM @hiddenggengar on twitter from the last chapter??? I'm dying, too freaking cute 💗💗💗💗💗  
> https://twitter.com/hiddenggengar/status/1297642782908129286


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly's show! Angsty Caleb! Wulf! Cuddle Pile!

Part One

Caleb

Before Caleb knew it, it was the first  Folsen of the new semester. The week had flown by in a mix of adjusting to the new place, figuring out how his online courses worked and taking subtle deliveries of their clothing and personal effects from disguised Cobalt Soul agents. Veth was planning to go home to  Yeza after  Mollymauks show, the Soul had informed them (via a note hidden in a delivery to Caduceus’s shop) that her home had been made secure. Caleb was faced again with the idea that she wouldn’t be living with him, it was almost like déjà vu. This time however, he already had  Mollymauk there, along with the rest of the Nein. 

Beauregard had spent a few nights at the Soul’s base of operations as well, helping Dairon with the investigation and “doing dope monk shit” (as she put it). Now, Caleb sat across the table from said monk, hands  folded and shoulders stubbornly set. Next to him  Mollymauk was pretending to be on his phone, though his tails nervous twitching gave him away.

“Caleb-”

“No, the Cobalt Soul agents are already going to be  guarding the bar tonight because of  Mollymauks show, I can  _ easily _ disguise all of us, and we have out amulets. I am coming with you all.”

She glared “but Caleb, man it’s  _ dangerous _ , you’re not supposed to be out and about remember-”

He cut her off again “remember what Beauregard? Remember what happened last time I sat home alone? I certainly  _ do _ remember that, do you?” 

It was a low blow, and he knew it, but he wasn’t going to back down. He was right, they had all the protection they needed  in order for him to be just as safe there as he was in the house. He wanted to go out.  Zeenoth had (after being informed of the situation by Beauregard) switched him to remote work for the library, meaning that even  _ that _ avenue of freedom was closed to him. Well, he would be damned if they took this away too. 

His sister was glaring at him, clearly pissed off and trying to find a way to argue against him... and equally pissed off that she couldn’t. 

“He has a point Beau” Fjord said from where he was leaning against the counter, coffee in hand “we’ll all be there, so if it makes you feel better we can just make sure we all stick together”

She turned her glare on Fjord now, but he just shrugged and sipped his coffee. Caleb could smell a win coming, and he fought back the smile. 

“Ugh FINE” Beauregard growled “fine, come out with us but you need to be  _ in disguise _ , and someone is sticking with you the whole time” she pointed at him, scowling “and I mean the  _ whole _ time, at the bar, on the dance floor, in the bathroom. Everywhere” 

Caleb smiled now, feeling his shoulders relax as he took a deep breath and held out his hand across the table 

“Deal” 

Begrudgingly, she shook it. 

“Anything, and I mean  _ anything _ sketchy and I will literally drag you out of there by your hair”

They stared at each other for another moment, tension high.

“Kinky” teased  Mollymauk , prompting Beauregard to make a disgusted noise while the other burst out laughing.  Mollymauk smirked and ran a  long nailed hand through Caleb’s hair, making him shiver

“Of course, that’s  _ my _ job” 

Caleb’s face felt like it was on fire while Beauregard gagged and swore loudly at the smirking Tiefling. 

The hand slid out of his hair with one light parting tug as  Mollymauk stood up and stretched. 

“Well, now that that’s settled, I’m going to shower and start getting ready” he winked across the table at Jester “first show of the new year, I’ve  gotta look my  _ absolute _ best” 

Jester jumped up  happily “ ohhh yes!! I’ll start pulling out clothes while you shower!” She turned to Caleb, her smile going  mischievous “want me to pick you something out too Cay- leb ?” 

He smiled indulgently at her and shook his head “maybe another time Jester, but as I’ll be  disguised I’m afraid no one will see it”

She pouted for a moment before her face lit back up, causing and  _ instant _ uptick in his nerves. 

“Wait  wait wait , can’t you like... decide  _ exactly _ what you look like? Like, I know skin and eyes and hair and stuff, but can’t you like...  _ design _ the clothes too?” 

Caleb hesitated, she was right, technically, though he usually just kept everyone's clothes the same as what they were  actually wearing . He was planning to change  Mollymauk’s outfit this time, just so that if one of the spies saw  them, they wouldn’t put it together that the singer had come in with their group.  Apparently, he was silent too long, because Jester took it as confirmation and looked absolutely overjoyed

“ _ Ooookay _ _!”  _ she  announced, “I’m going to plan you out something totally awesome!” 

Before he could respond, the Tieflings had run off towards the stairs. Caleb sighed, there was no use arguing against it really. He looked over at  Frumpkin as the cat hopped up onto the table.

“You my friend, are lucky to be a cat” 

Frumpkin just purred at him, which really wasn’t all that helpful. 

\----

Three hours passed, the others had all spread out around the house while  Mollymauk and Jester clattered around upstairs. Caduceus and Fjord were out in the garden, Beau and Yasha had claimed the couch and were watching some cheesy reality tv show. Veth had finished up her packing and was reading at the table across from where Caleb had pulled out his laptop. He was trying to get some work done on his  Dunamancy course, but thoughts of the plans for that night kept distracting him.

A message notification blinked in the bottom corner of his screen; the school’s online platform had a built-in messaging system. It was supposed to be so students could work on group projects more seamlessly, but generally it was just a way for them to avoid work. He clicked it open, because really... he wasn’t getting anything done anyway. 

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T:  _ ** _ Good afternoon Caleb _

Caleb smiled

**_ Caleb W: _ ** _ Hello  _ _ Essek _ _ , how are you this fine Folsen? _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ Doing well, just working on some marking for the  _ _ first-year _ _ course I am T.A for this semester _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ I swear some of the things these kids write... _

**_ Caleb W: _ ** _ Not quite up to snuff then? Lol _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ My little brother could do better, and he is a complete  _ _ blockhead _

Caleb snickered out loud at that, waving away Veth’s curious look

**_ Caleb W: _ ** _ I only have Beauregard as an example of sibling relationships, and I’m afraid she’s  _ _ quite _ _ smart... when she wants to be _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ Lol  _ _ yes _ _ I suppose she would have to be, if she’s in the Cobalt Soul _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ Any plans for the weekend?  _

**_ Caleb W: _ ** _ Nothing for tomorrow yet, but we’re all going to  _ _ Mollymauks _ _ show tonight. In disguise of course _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ Of course, that should be fun _

**_ Caleb W: _ ** _ Have you ever been?  _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ I’m afraid not,  _ _ Fletchings _ _ is not really the kind of establishment my family frequents _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ I mean no offence, of course, it’s just one of those things _

**_ Caleb W: _ ** _ None taken, family can be difficult _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T:  _ ** _ Indeed. _

**_ Caleb W: _ ** _ Well, you’re welcome to join us if you like _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ I appreciate it, but I think I’ll be trapped here for the night _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ Tell  _ _ Mollymauk _ _ good luck... or whatever the theatre equivalent is _

**_ Caleb W: _ ** _ I will! Best of luck with your marking lol _

**_ Essek _ ** **_ T: _ ** _ Ugh. _

Caleb chuckled, poor  Essek , he could still remember some of the awful papers he had helped other students with in first year. He shut the laptop as he heard the  unmistakable sound of Jester on the stairs. 

“ Caleeeb !” she sang as she skidded to a halt in the doorway of the kitchen “C’mon! I’ve got it all sketched out!” 

Caleb sighed as everyone started to shift from their spots to go get ready. Veth smiled encouragingly at him as Caduceus and Fjord walked past to head upstairs with Yasha and Beauregard 

“It’ll be fun Cay, think of it as just another layer of the disguise!” she reached out and patted his hand “besides, you need to get used to dressing up! The wedding is only a few months away!” 

He  smiled back and nodded; she was right on both points after all. He needed to look as unlike himself as possible tonight and knowing Jester she would insist on designing  all of their wedding outfits. 

“We should wait here Jester” he said, smiling at her “I’ll need to be able to see everyone in order to cast the spell” 

“Oh right!!” she ran back to the stairs and yelled for everyone to come down as soon as they were dressed. 

By now it was 7 in the evening, Yasha started her shift as a bouncer (disguised) at 8, and  Mollymauks show started at 10. It was going to be a long night, but Caleb couldn’t help feeling excited. He hadn’t left the house since the first day there and was eager to get out for a bit. He was currently dressed in his comfortable joggers and a deep blue sweater that Mollymauk always liked on him. At least he would be comfortable under his disguise, no matter how out there it was. 

He checked and double-checked that his bag of components was ready until he heard the others thundering down the stairs. Everyone had decided to dress up a bit it seemed, even Yasha in her all-black bouncer attire looked extra done up.  Mollymauk came down last, right behind a sparkling Jester, and Caleb felt his lips part as soon as he saw the other man.  Mollymauk had on his skin-tight ripped black jeans, with black leather boots that looked downright  _ dangerous _ to walk in. His shirt was long sleeved black mesh, exposing  all of his tattoos, he had put the leather vest from Beauregard on  top but it didn’t do much to cover. Along with his amulet, he had layered three silver chains of varying thickness, and a black leather collar was belted loosely around his neck. He had lined his red eyes with the sparkly black liner, added the purple lip gloss and  some kind of shimmer to his cheekbones. 

All in all, Caleb was  fairly certain he was going to die. 

Of course,  Mollymauk noticed his reaction, a sly smirk slid onto the Tiefling’s face. He winked and swayed over, walking in the heels like he had been born in them. In the boots he went from a few inches shorter than Caleb to a few inches taller, leaning down to steal a chaste kiss. As light as  it was, it still left Caleb blushing when the other man pulled away. 

Someone cleared their throat behind  Mollymauk and he felt the blush deepen as he quite suddenly remembered the six other people in the room. 

“So... if you two are done with the PDA, we should get a move on” 

He turned and nodded to Beauregard as Jester pressed her sketchbook into his hand. He looked down and blanched, the outfit was a  _ lot.  _ Not  Mollymauk levels of ‘a lot’, but  definitely more than he would ever wear normally. He had agreed to it though... sort of, so... alright. 

He cast the spell, focusing on changing everyone’s physical appearance while keeping their clothes, and on completely changing  Mollymauk and himself. When he was  done he looked around to inspect his handiwork. The others were all looking back at him from completely new faces. 

Beauregard had the same pale human face with the blue buzzcut that she had worn when they first arrived, brown eyes circled with smudged eyeliner. Jester was a tanned human girl with big hazel eyes and bubblegum pink curls, Veth was still a halfling but now her eyes were  green and her hair was a golden bob hanging just below her chin. Fjord had taken on the appearance of a man with warm olive skin and deep green eyes, long brown hair tied in a low ponytail. Yasha was still pale, but less so than usual, and now both eyes were  blue and her hair was a pure black side shave. Caduceus’s height was the strangest change, he was a foot shorter than usual and had the appearance of a pale human man with cornflower blue eyes and pastel turquoise hair. 

Mollymauk was in the same disguise as when they had moved in, a tanned human with warm brown eyes and dark curling hair falling just below his shoulders. His outfit had been changed as well, grey skinny jeans and a black sleeveless top with a  _ deep  _ V-neck. Caleb knew his transformation was the most out of character. He turned and looked in the hall mirror, taking a moment to adjust to what he saw there. 

He had more  colour than usual, though he was still  fairly pale compared to others in the party. His freckles were gone, blue eyes replaced with honey-brown and his long red hair was now wavy, shoulder-length and golden blond. Jester had dressed him in a pair of skinny jeans, dark grey, with tears all over them. One knee was replaced with mesh, and the seam up one side appeared to be held together by a line of safety pins. The shirt that was tucked into the high waist was black silk, with dark grey pinstripes only visible when the light caught them, unbuttoned to the waist the way  Mollymauk usually did. His amulet was disguised to look like a silver cat face instead of an eye. The sleeves on the shirt were long and billowing, with tight cuffs. The finishing touch was a small peacock feather tattoo behind his right ear.

It felt like a  _ lot _ , the person in the mirror looked as shocked as Caleb felt. It was very strange to see his expressions on this  stranger's face... but that was the point. 

He looked back at his family, all with different faces then he was used to, and smiled sheepishly. Jester was bouncing and absolutely beaming at him.

“You  _ really _ need to let me pick your clothes more often Caleb! You look  _ so _ totally cool!” 

There was a general outpour of agreement from the others and a very pointed up and down look from  Mollymauk . Caleb wasn’t sure if the Tiefling was enjoying the view or memorizing the outfit for their next shopping trip. 

The trip to the bar was uneventful, they took the bus instead of the  Stormcloud because the van was too recognizable. They arrived early so that Yasha could join them in saying hello to Gustav and making sure the half-elf knew who  was who . It would have been a bit of a  give away if he didn’t seem to recognize his “new bouncer” when Yasha was on the door. They spent the next two hours sitting on the familiar barstools and chatting, they told Gus all about their “vacation” (as they were calling it in public) and how odd it was to be back at school after two weeks of freedom. 

Caleb was nervous at first, eyes darting to the door every time it opened, but eventually he felt himself calm down somewhat. There was no reason that  Ikithon should know they were here, no way for the other wizards to see through the disguises. And he had the whole Mighty Nein here, if something  _ did _ go down they could handle it together. 

No, he wasn’t worried about being discovered tonight. Instead, his brain was stuck on how much  Mollymauk seemed to be enjoying his disguised form. The Tiefling was always tactile, holding hands or pressing shoulders together, but it seemed... different. He was very clearly attracted to the way Caleb looked right now, which would be fine... except that it was the exact opposite of how he usually looked. He was very much a sweaters and slacks/cardigans and sweats/baggy t-shirts and  joggers kind of guy... And he had always known  Mollymauk was more fashionable, and more ostentatious, than he was... but seeing the reaction to someone who looked this way was stressful.

Caleb said nothing, not wanting to stress his partner out before the show, but all the worries that had been pushed aside while they were secluded away up north were creeping back in. When  Mollymauk disappeared into the back so that Caleb could drop his disguise, and re-appeared on stage in his fully glory, the point only felt more obvious.  Mollymauk was in his element, it was clear just how much he had really been missing the stage. If the noise of the crowd was any indication, the stage had missed him too.

When he turned to grab his drink, he caught his reflection in the mirror behind the bar and couldn’t help but glare at it. It was bad enough feeling like he had to compete with every beautiful person they met, now he had to compete with his disguised self  too? Ridiculous. He suddenly regretted insisting that everyone  pick one disguise and stick with it... it would be less obvious of course, but he disliked the man in the mirror. Would  Mollymauk be disappointed when they got  home and Caleb switched back to his usual form? Or, even worse, would this be the image  Mollymauk carried into their room... into his own fantasies? 

Caleb suddenly remembered why he found relationships so exhausting sometimes. He ordered another drink. 

The show was wonderful, made better by the excitement inherent in the group's first proper outing in over a month. Beauregard was eyeing him warily as he indulged in what was probably too many drinks, eyes still sharp and clever even when they were the wrong shape and in the wrong face. When  Mollymauk finished his last number and started bowing his way off the stage, Caleb began to get up. The plan was for him to meet  Mollymauk in the back room so he could be re-disguised before coming out to sit with the rest. Before he could leave however, he felt a hand on his arm.

“Wait a sec” 

He turned to look at Beauregard, flopping back into his seat with very little grace (definitely too many drinks).

“You okay man?” Her voice was quiet, clearly meant for only him, and her expression concerned “you’ve had this...  _ look _ on your face all night” 

When he didn’t respond immediately, she pressed on.

“If it’s...  _ you-know-who  _ related, try not to stress too much okay? We’re here, we’ve got you” she  paused, and her expression hardened “we won’t let them take you Cay,  you’re family” 

Caleb felt a surge of affection for the woman next to him, he knew she meant every word and that kind of support... well, it was a lot on a good day. He shook his head and smiled at her, trying to convey the affection and gratitude he felt. He placed his hand over hers where it still sat on his arm.

“It’s not that, I know we could take them” 

She nodded, a fierce smile appearing on her face for a moment before she raised an eyebrow at him

“If not them, then what’s up?” 

“It’s nothing important, really, just the horror that is emotions” 

Her responding grimace made him laugh, if anyone would understand the horror of  _ feelings _ it was Beauregard. She was nearly as bad as him at processing and handling them. They balanced each other out, he understood  her and she understood him. They could hold each other accountable while also looking out for each other. 

“Well... If you need to like...  _ talk _ or something” she shrugged “I’m around, just no  _ bedroom _ stuff”

He gagged and rolled his eyes at her “obviously not, why in the nine hells would I want my  _ sister _ knowing any of that?” 

She laughed now, releasing his arm “exactly! Now go get the Obnoxious One, we should head home soon” 

Caleb stood, gave her a little wave, and made the short walk to the back room. 

Part Two

Molly

Molly was absolutely  _ buzzing _ , the show had been fantastic, the crowd had been wild and the energy of it was still singing through him. He was in the back room now, waiting for Caleb to come back and re-disguise him. It was a shame  really, he would have loved to go out into the crowd like he usually did and meet up with the fans. Next week he would see if they could manage it, even just an extra hour in his own skin would be super. He bobbed around the room, completely unable to sit still. This  particular room hadn’t changed for as long as Gus had owned it. Same awful dark green/brown carpet that had been there when they got it, same red walls, gone dull and dusty after years of people smoking indoors... same row of old mirrors with big bulbs all around them, straight out of a movie. 

Or, they would have been if half the mirrors weren’t cracked and all but two hadn’t been missing the bulbs. Molly walked over to his  favourite mirror, it had all the bulbs and they even still worked (though the light was  flickery and yellow), and there was a bright red kiss at the top corner. Molly didn’t know who had left it there, but he liked. He and Yasha had been after Gus for ages to fix this place up, that way they could get more acts in. Gus said the room had “character”, Yasha said it probably had mold. 

There was a light rapping on the door and a familiar voice called softly through it

“Mollymauk?” 

He smiled, he could never help smiling when Caleb was involved, and called for him to come in. Caleb, in his disguised form, walked in and shut the door quietly behind him. Molly liked that about the man, he did most things quietly, deliberately. No slamming doors, or carelessly thrown objects. It was peaceful, comfortable, the way being near the other man calmed him down like nothing else. As soon as the wizard was within reach Molly threw his arms over his shoulders and pressed their foreheads together. 

“Did you enjoy the show darling?” His voice was scratchy, he’d have to get some tea before bed

“Of course  _ Schatz _ , you were wonderful, it was very good to see you back up on stage”

The strangeness of seeing Caleb’s expression on a different face was... disconcerting.

“If you drop your disguise...” Molly started quietly “will it mess everyone else up?” 

The blonde eyebrows furrowed, and it only made Molly want to see Calebs real face more. 

“No, why do you ask?” 

“I miss your face” Molly started, frowning “it feels weird talking to you like this” he leaned back, taking in the disguise again.

It was handsome, exactly the kind of guy Molly would have gone after before he met Caleb. The outfit was edgy enough to be interesting, but flamboyant enough that Molly wouldn’t have worried about flirting with someone who would take it wrong. Golden waves of hair long enough to be fun, and deep eyes that a person could melt into... 

But it wasn’t  _ Caleb _ . 

“I can’t kiss you like that love, it wouldn’t feel right” 

Calebs cheeks flushed, and to Molly’s delight the  colour stayed as the disguise dropped. He felt that familiar warmth in his chest as Caleb’s true face returned. Along with his perpetually messy red ponytail, soft pants and comfortable sweater. He had on the blue sweater that Molly swore was only a shade or two off his eyes. Molly smiled at him, stepping back into the gingers space and pressing his palm to one pink cheek

“There you are” he was whispering, though he wasn’t sure why

“Here I am” 

They stayed standing there for another nearly twenty minutes, trading soft kisses. Nothing heated, nothing rushed or desperate, just slow, comfortable affection. They were forced to stop when a loud knock rang through the room.

“Hurry up assholes! Some of us have shit to do tomorrow!” 

Molly sighed and rolled his eyes while Caleb chuckled.

“Just a SECOND Unpleasant One” Molly called out, flipping off the door even though he knew she couldn’t see it. She would feel it, in her soul. 

When he looked back at Caleb, the disguised face was back in place of the familiar one. He looked down and realized that his outfit had changed as well. Turning to the side he could just see the stranger in his reflection.

“That has to be one of the weirdest spells” 

Caleb hummed in agreement, muttering something about Polymorph being weirded as they opened the door and walked back to the bar with Beau. They ended up staying for another half hour so that Yasha could finish out her shift. The bus ride home was much sleepier and more subdued, everyone being at least tipsy on top of tired.  Yeza had picked Veth up at the bar. As soon as they arrived home, Caleb dropped the disguises and they scattered. Jester went with Beau and Yasha to their room, not wanting to sleep by herself after so long with someone else there. Fjord and Caduceus waved goodnight as Cad helped the stumbling half-orc up the stairs to their room. 

Molly stretched and yawned, tugging off his boots and setting them on the mat with everyone  elses . Caleb looked wiped out, and Molly smiled warmly at him before leaning in and kissing his cheek softly. 

“I’m going to get a cup of tea, you head to bed love I won’t be long”

Caleb smiled sleepily at him, reaching out to run a thumb gently along Molly’s tattooed cheek before kissing his forehead and heading upstairs. Molly watched him go, feeling the sappy smile on his own face. The smile didn’t fade as he walked over to the kitchen and started boiling water and pulling out a mug, honey and one of Caddy’s pre-made sleepy tea bags. He sent a silent thank you to the  Wildmother for the  firbolg , he really didn’t know where he would be without this particular tea. 

Molly added a generous spoonful of honey to his mug with the tea bag already in and poured the hot water over it. He stirred gently, staring out the window but not really seeing the yard beyond it. If someone had told him two years ago that he would be in a house, with a group of friends he loved and a wonderful, kind man to call his own... he would have laughed in their face. Then probably drank some more, or smoked some more... or whatever other destructive thing he was onto  at the moment . He had had Yasha of course, and he would be forever grateful to her for sticking around... and Gus. There was literally nothing he could do to thank Gus enough for pulling the two of them off the street and into a weird make-shift family.

He sighed, tossing the teabag into the compost bin that Caddy had bought and sipped at his tea. The warmth spread through him like sinking into a hot bath, and it was heavenly. Show nights always brought this out in him, this weird feeling of contemplative gratitude. Normally he tried not to think about his past at all, but these kinds of nights made it easier. 

When he finished his tea, rinsing the mug and setting it out to dry, he crept upstairs as quietly as he could. The lights were out in all the rooms but theirs, Caleb had left the little lamp on the bedside table on. Molly smiled as he took in the scene; Caleb was shirtless and propped up against the headboard of the bed, the book he had clearly fallen asleep reading was open and held loosely in one hand.  Frumpkin was curled up next to him, big amber eyes watching Molly. The yellow light from the old lamp cast the whole room in a soft glow, easing the shadows that always lived under Caleb’s eyes. He looked younger when he slept, his hair loose and expression soft. 

Molly changed quickly and quietly, making sure to wash his face in the bathroom before bed. He padded over to the bed barefoot, gently slipping the book out of Caleb’s hand and placing it on the side table.  Frumpkin leapt lightly off the bed, winding around Molly’s legs twice before making for the door, off to do his nighttime exploring. Molly knew the cat would be back in bed with them by morning, probably curled around Calebs head or sleeping directly on Molly’s tail. He climbed into bed, debating silently for a moment before gently running a hand through Caleb’s hair, smiling as the man  murmured something in  Zemnian .

“Lay down darling, you’ll hurt your neck like that” he whispered, tugging lightly on his  partners' hand.

Caleb mumbled again, but slid down, arms snaking around Molly and pulling him down too, holding him to the human's chest. Molly smiled again, shuffling slightly to curl up more comfortably with the cuddly man. 

\----

The next few days went by without fanfare, Beau, Fjord and Caduceus had work while the rest of the University Gang (as Molly had taken to thinking of them) were dealing with the first few assignments of the semester. Caleb spent the time he wasn’t working (something about fixing the libraries online catalogue) watching movies or reading with Molly. Life around the house seemed to have found a rhythm, and it was nice. 

It wasn’t until  Whelsen that anything happened to disturb them. Beau stormed into the kitchen, yelling for everyone to get down there. She closed Caleb’s laptop, nearly catching his fingers in the process and earned herself a line of angry  Zemnian swear words. 

“What the hell  Beauregard ?” Caleb finished his sentence in Common, glaring at her. 

“Dairon came to the library to talk to me” 

Molly felt his smile slip away as everyone went silent and still, Caleb’s face was pale. 

“They spotted the guy... Wulf or whatever his name is, at the apartment” she paused “ _ out _ of disguise, just him, his actual face” 

The silence stretched and Molly look over at Caleb, trying to read the expression on his face. Confusion? Not really, more like... calculation.

“I see” Caleb said finally, with a nod like she had explained much more than she actually had. 

Molly sighed “okay genius folks, want to explain for the rest of us why this guy would do something that stupid?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Beau asked, rolling her eyes. 

Molly flipped her off with a glare.

“It is bait” Caleb said, his voice soft but surprisingly calm “he is trying to lure me out into the open” 

Caleb stood and started to pace back and forth through the kitchen, one hand in his hair and the other  gesticulating as he spoke. The nervous energy that Molly had expected at the beginning of the conversation finally showing up.

“They likely know that thanks to Astrids disastrous attempt at capturing me last time I would be unlikely to approach her. Wulf was always the more levelheaded of them, he probably thinks that I would be willing to speak to him, that I would attempt to talk my way out of whatever it is they want from me.”

“But you wouldn’t do that... right?” Molly asked quietly, but Caleb just continued to speak

“Considering that I believe they planned to revive me last time once I was away from all of you, that means they do not want me dead. At least, not initially... they likely want me to assist with whatever  Ikithons newest bid for power is. Wulf will likely continue to show up now... and wait for me to approach”

“But you  _ won’t do that _ right?” Molly asked again, louder as the panic started to rise in his chest “you  _ won’t _ go to him?  Right Caleb?”

The sound of his voice seemed to break something in Caleb’s thought process, he stopped suddenly and looked directly at Molly. The calculating look was still in his eyes, but it softened when he caught the clearly pathetic expression on the Tieflings face. Caleb cleared the space between them in two long strides and crouched down, taking Molly’s hands and smiling his comforting smile.

“ Of course not  _ Schatzi _ , I have no reason to do so, I am only trying to ah...” he paused briefly “get into their heads?”

Molly nodded, the panic fading slightly.  Of course Caleb would never do something like that, he was way too smart. They would plan something as a group, use Wulf’s tactics against him. He smiled weakly back, pulling their joined hands up and holding his lips against Caleb’s knuckles. 

They spent the next hour with the group huddled around the kitchen table, Jester called Veth and put her on speaker so that she knew what was going on too. Beau went over everything that Dairon had said, Caleb making notes of exact locations and times and even what Wulf had looked like (“he cut his hair... and has a new scar” Caleb had muttered at one point). To everyone’s annoyance, they didn’t manage to settle on a solid plan of attack, finally deciding that more surveillance would have to do. Beau, Fjord, Jester and Caduceus were going to start working with some of the Soul agents to monitor the apartment in disguise. Caleb hadn’t liked  that but had been shouted down. 

When the arguments and discussions finally ended for the night, Caddy and Fjord left to pick up takeout. They needed a movie night. 

As with all movie nights, it quickly devolved into a booze-filled cuddle pile on the small living room floor. No one bothered bringing up the fact that most of them had classes or work the next morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again (as always) thank you so much for your patience!   
> My kid started school this week, so my writing time got eaten by laundry and labelling and school things. 
> 
> However! I should have a few days a week now that I have hours to myself!! More writing time 💗
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! We're going to get a little more bar night fun to go with an uptick in angst in the next few chapters, plus a few more time jumps (one can only write about a day in the life of online learning so much...)  
> Anyway!! Love y'all!


	27. Twenty-Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotions! Fluff! Molly Backstory Crumbs! Angst!

Part One

Caleb

Caleb was antsy... well, not  _ antsy _ exactly, but stressed. Definitely stressed. 

He had been trying his best to hide it from  Mollymauk ever since he had seen the Tieflings horrified face when Beauregard broke the news. Red eyes staring wide and lavender hands clenched in his lap... and his voice, usually so cheerful and teasing had sounded so... well, scared. Caleb couldn’t do that to him, so he kept it under wraps until  Mollymauk went to work. Then he could pace their room and think and worry all he liked. It was the second  Folsen of the new semester,  Mollymauk , Yasha and Jester had all headed for the bar early (in disguise) but Fjord was working late with Caddy at the shop, so Caleb was waiting at the house to disguise them as well.

So now, in an empty house, Caleb paced their room. Bedroom door to the window and back, over and over while he thought.

He still felt he had it right, that  Eodwulf was trying to lure him out. He would try to get Caleb to talk to him, try to convince him to come back into the fold. Astrid was too far gone now, any kindness (even feigned kindness) had been stomped out of her long ago. Caleb could still remember the day he knew she was truly gone... he shook his head, no, not right now. He kept pacing.

The question was, what did they want him for? Were they planning something big that needed more power than the three of them  had? Or did  Ikithon simply want the pleasure of killing Caleb himself? 

Caleb growled, not bloody likely. He wasn’t the lost child he had been, he had people to live for, a  _ life _ to preserve now. If the old bastard made a move, Caleb would be sure to take him out... even if it meant he went down too. 

If they  _ were _ planning something, what was it? Some way to evade the government that was after them maybe... trying to bring back the cult. Maybe they had found somewhere on  Exandria that didn’t know of their crimes? If that was the case, then trying to bring him back into the fold was just another exercise in hubris for  Ikithon . His old Master hated to feel like he had been cheated out of something he owned. That’s all they were, after all, Caleb, Astrid and Wulf, they were property. Well trained attack dogs for him to command. 

_ “ _ _ Arschloch _ _ ” _ Caleb thought viciously. 

Eventually, he paced himself into a state of almost calm. He would need much more information if he was going to beat the cult. He was still bitter that the Soul hadn’t managed to bring Wulf in, teleportation spells were swiftly becoming the bane of his existence. 

If he had  _ been  _ there... but, no. There was no way they would allow that, even disguised. 

He stopped  in front of the mirror, taking in his appearance with a grimace. He looked tired, the bags under his eyes (so recently minimized by their two weeks of calm) were back with a  vengeance . His hair was a wild mess, barely contained in his ponytail any more thanks to his habit of running his hands through it when he thought. 

He sighed, brushed out his hair and tied it back again before changing from his pajamas into his black joggers. He left on the plain grey shirt he had been wearing all day, he would be covered by his disguise anyway. He went downstairs, made a pot of coffee and had gotten through about half of it when Fjord and Caduceus got home. He called out a greeting from the kitchen and they wandered in, bringing the smell of baked goods and tea with them. Caleb smiled at his friends

“Ready to go?”

They nodded, dropping their bags and sticking wallets in pockets. Once they were disguised, the three of them booked it for the bus. They made it just after 9:30 (9:36, to be specific) and wound their way to the bar where the others were sitting. Caleb scanned the line of their friends and frowned slightly, making Beauregard laugh.

“He went in back already, wanted to ‘get centred’ or some  pretentious shit like that” 

Caleb smiled and thanked her, making his way to the backroom, eyes out for anyone strange. He knocked lightly and entered when he heard  Mollymauk’s voice. The moment he shut the door a pair of warm arms flew around his neck, Caleb nuzzled into the dark curls, smiling against them as he dropped their disguises and the hair turned plum again.

“Hallo  _ Kätzchen _ _ ” _ he murmured “are you alright?”

A nod against his neck, then some mumbled words he couldn’t quite make out. 

“I can’t hear you...” he paused at the odd  behaviour , pulling away slightly to look at  Mollymauks face “are you sure you’re alright?” 

Mollymauk looked... nervous? Well, he looked perfect (as always) but under the sharp liner and dark lip, his eyes were worried. Caleb slid one hand to his partners' hip and pressed the other lightly against his cheek, unable to hold back the smile when  Mollymauk tilted his head into the touch.

“I... I’m okay, really” he took a deep breath “there are people from the radio out there, Gus told me when we got here” 

Caleb felt his eyes go wide “But  _ Schatz _ , that’s wonderful news!” he leaned in and kissed the lavender forehead before pulling back to look into red eyes again “so what’s wrong?” 

“What if...”  Mollymauk looked down, blushing deep purple “what if they don’t like me?” 

His voice was small, not the usual bright, loud sound that Caleb adored. He felt his expression soften as he pulled  Mollymauk to one of the couches and sat them both down. He gripped the warm hands as he spoke.

“ Mollymauk Tealeaf” the Tiefling looked up at his full name, confused “you are  _ amazing _ , I have said so since the first time I ever heard you sing. You belong on stage, and there is no way on  Exandria that these people will not see that” 

Mollymauk blushed again and tried to look away, but Caleb released on  hand and hooked a finger gently under the other  mans' chin, lifting it so he could look into those scarlet eyes again. 

“You go out there and you sing because you love it, because you can’t  _ not _ sing” he leaned in and stole a light kiss “if by some stroke of idiocy they don’t call you the moment you step off the stage, just come back to me instead okay?” 

Caleb could feel  Mollymauk smiling as the Tiefling closed the space between them again for a much less chaste kiss, sliding his hands up Caleb’s chest to grip the soft shirt. When they broke apart,  Mollymauk lipstick was smudged and his cheeks were bright, but he was smiling his mischievous smile again. They stood and Caleb offered him a tissue from the side table, but  Mollymauk shook his head

“Let them wonder what I’ve been up to” he winked, kissed Caleb one more time with a whispered “thank you” and made for the door.

Caleb laughed when he caught sight of his own reflection and the smear of dark lipstick across his mouth. He re-disguised himself and made it back to the bar just as  Mollymauk strutted on stage, looking every bit the confident star he usually did. Caleb smiled. 

The show was amazing, just as Caleb had known it would be. Beauregard had pointed out the radio people at one point, they were at one of the tables on the other side of the dance floor. Caleb thought he should have been able to figure it out himself, it was obvious once they were pointed out. A gnome woman with spikey brown hair and a halfling man with a black pompadour. They both had that effortlessly cool look that older rock stars often wore, the kind of look that said they  _ knew _ who they were and what they could do. 

When the show ended,  Mollymauk came out to the bar with a smile in his normal skin. Beauregard glared at him in a clear “what the hell are you doing?” way. He leaned in between them and whispered so only they could hear. 

“Just for a little bit, I promise not to leave the group, just go with it please?” 

Beauregard sighed and took the drink Gus had just handed  Mollymauk , downing it and turning back to talk to Jester. Caleb laughed, and  Mollymauk took the empty seat between the two humans and thanked Gus when he was handed another drink. 

They stayed an extra half hour before the others decided to head out, Caleb stayed with  Mollymauk another 40 minutes after that, flirting at the bar and pretending to have just met. It had been strange at first, Caleb didn’t like flirting with this wrong face on. 

Mollymauk leaned in, his lips brushing Caleb's ear as he whispered “come into the back with me? I miss your face” 

Caleb blushed and followed him to the back. 

\----

By the time they got home, the others were already halfway through some cheesy horror movie, bowls of popcorn and snacks littering the room. Caleb had dropped the spell as soon as they walked in the door, and smiled when the movie was paused immediately. Comfy clothes and (in Beauregard's case) actual pyjama’s replaced bar clothed and the cuddle pile was started.  Mollymauk cuddled in against his side, sliding a hand into his and nuzzling his nose against Caleb’s neck. Caleb slept better than he had in days.

The next day slid by in a sleepy fog, they went through three pots of coffee between all of them and Caleb was fairly certain he had more than his fair share.  Mollymauk was glued to his phone, hoping for a call from either Gus or the radio. By 3 in the afternoon however, he had gone from exuberant excitement to maudlin pouting. Caleb was working at a small desk that they had found in the garage and moved into their room, and  Mollymauk was laying on his back on the bed, head hanging over the edge and phone rested on his chest. 

Caleb glared at his computer screen, not only was the online work system extremely finicky and outdated, he was supposed to be doing a group project. With people he had never met, and who apparently were either very stupid or very lazy. He had been growing more and more frustrated over the last hour, and now one of these idiots was  _ asking which class  _ this was even for and his pencil snapped. He was going to scream. He was going to smash the computer and  _ then _ scream. 

Instead, he chucked the broken pencil far more aggressively than necessary into the bin beside the desk. As it hit the metal bottom of the bin he heard a gasp, a shuffle and a thud from behind him. He whipped around to see  Mollymauk laying on the floor, clearly having just fallen off the bed. He stood up quickly and stared in confusion as the Tiefling jumped up too, blushing.

“Are you... okay,  _ Schatz _ ?” he asked, stepping forward with a hand out.

Mollymauk waved a hand in what was clearly meant to be a dismissive way, but it was sharper than usual, jerky. So was the laugh he paired with it, too breathy and nervous.

“I’m fine, just fine love!” 

Caleb tilted his head at the odd tone of  Mollymauks voice.

“I lost my balance is all! Just slipped right off the bed!” another odd laugh. 

Caleb stepped forward slowly, raising his other hand and stopping when  Mollymauk twitched. Caleb felt his heart sink, he knew that kind of twitch. He dropped his hands slowly to his sides and walked forward slowly, speaking softly.

“ Mollymauk ... can I touch you?” 

The look of absolute shock on the Tieflings face was enough to solidify Caleb’s theory, he stopped a foot away from the other man and held a hand out, palm up. 

There was a moment of tense silence and then  Mollymauk threw himself at Caleb, wrapping his arms around Caleb’s chest and pressing his face into his shoulder. Caleb held him, running one hand through the soft purple curls and pressing his lips to the crown of  Mollymauks head. They stood that way for a full 4 minutes and 37 seconds, Caleb humming low in his chest. When the other man’s shivering stopped and he relaxed fully against Caleb, he spoke again.

“Do you want to talk about it  _ Kätzchen _ ?” 

Mollymauk shook his head, Caleb nodded in response

“Okay, it’s okay  _ Schatz _ , you’re okay” 

He steered the Tiefling back towards the bed, managing to get them both under the covers with some difficulty. They were settled, Mollymauks head on Caleb’s chest and Caleb’s arms wrapped securely around him, with a hand still combing through the plum curls. Mollymauks heartrate slowed where Caleb could feel it against his side, and he pressed another lingering kiss to the crown of his partners head. They lay that way for a long while, just holding on to each other quietly. 

Caleb’s mind was anything but quiet, he had seen reactions like this before. He had  _ had _ reactions like this before.  Mollymauk had never mentioned anything about trouble in his past... his amnesia around the time before he was taken in by Gustav certainly, but nothing after that. Was this related to the amnesia, or had he just been hiding more than Caleb had realized? He wasn’t upset, or at least... not  _ at _ Mollymauk . If the other man had chosen to keep his past to himself that was his choice. Caleb had only told them because it posed imminent danger, otherwise, he probably would have kept it quiet too. 

If that  _ was  _ the case though... Caleb felt a rush of anger through his core, if someone had... 

Well, they had better hope he never met them. 

Caleb felt a light brush of lips against his neck, replacing the anger with affection so quickly it made his head spin. 

“I’m sorry” 

Mollymauks voice was still small, soft... vulnerable and  embarrassed . Caleb knew that feeling. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for  _ Kätzchen _ _ ,  _ I promise” 

Caleb looked down as the weight on his chest shifted and found himself looking down into scarlet eyes.  Mollymauks’s brow was furrowed and he was chewing the corner of his bottom lip. Caleb just smiled warmly at him before leaning down and kissing him lightly, keeping his lips trapped until he kissed back. 

“I mean it, you have nothing to apologize for” he kissed the tattooed feather on  Mollymauks cheek “I seem to recall someone telling me that it happens to the best of us”

Mollymauk looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened in  recognition and he chuckled

“You and that memory are a terror Mister Caleb” 

Caleb hummed noncommittally and pulled the Tiefling in for another long, slow kiss.  Mollymauk would tell him when he was ready, and until then, Caleb’s memory would come in handy in keeping track of things he ought to avoid doing. 

Starting with no more throwing things when he was annoyed. 

Part Two

Molly

Molly was  embarrassed . 

He hadn’t panicked about something as small as a thrown pencil in  _ years _ , he thought he was over it. He just hadn’t been expecting it, he had been so engrossed in reading about the radio station that had sent people to the show (stalking the stations' Twitter honestly, the website was too wordy). He had reacted without thinking, jumping and forgetting the weird position he had been laying in. 

Now here he was, wrapped up in Caleb’s arms, feeling much calmer but honestly just about embarrassed enough to cry. He wouldn’t though, not with Caleb holding him and speaking so sweetly to him. Molly couldn’t believe that the wizard remembered what he had said so long ago, it wasn’t even anything deep, he had just been trying to comfort his friend. That memory of his was really something. Molly took a deep breath, inhaling the old books, coffee and smoke scent that was so inherently Caleb and letting it calm his nerves even further. He would be okay, Caleb was here and he was safe. 

\----

Molly spent the next two days glued to his phone, and to Caleb. The wizard took it in stride, holding Molly’s hand while he read his textbooks, or letting him curl up against him while he typed. The stuff he typed out for his classes was incomprehensible to Molly, all sorts of crazy looking equations and symbols, and half of it wasn’t even in Common. The only time Caleb asked him (reluctantly, with a look of miserable apology on his face) to please sit elsewhere was on  Miresen afternoon when he had to go on video for his classes. They weren’t supposed to have other people with them as it might disturb the class. 

Molly kissed the little frown that had formed on his lovers face and smiled 

“Of course love, I understand” 

He walked over to the other couch and pulled out his headphones, opening his audiobook app and starting where he had left off a few days before. He stayed that way for a few hours, listening to the book and scrolling through his phone absently. His phone began to ring and he stood quickly, heading for the back door and stepping outside, sliding the door closed as he answered.

“You’ve got Molly” 

“Ah, that's perfect,” said a warm and oddly familiar voice on the other end “just who I was looking for!” 

Molly chuckled “excellent! Glad I could help!”

The person on the phone laughed at that “well  Mr Tealeaf, I’m actually hoping  _ we _ can help you”

Molly’s heart skipped a beat “oh?”

“ Mhmm , my name is Scanlan  Shorthalt , from Zadash 105.8?” 

Molly felt his eyes go round 

“I thought you sounded familiar!” 

There was another laugh from the other end “yeah, I get that a lot” 

“W-wow, well it’s an  honour to hear from you!” Molly was gushing, he knew it, but he couldn’t help it “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well, you may be aware that my daughter was in the audience at your show last Folsen” 

His daughter? The gnomish woman. It clicked instantly and he should have  _ known _ , she was a talent scout for the radio, he should have realized who she was.

“Ah, y-yes, my manager mentioned that there were some folks from the station there”

“Well, needless to say, she was impressed” he chuckles again “spent the weekend bombarding me with sound clips and videos, if anyone saw my phone right now they’d accuse me of stalking” 

Molly laughed, but it came out nervous. 

“Anyway” Scanlan continued “with the good weather coming back, we’re opening up the studio for local showcases again and we want to have you and your band in for a live session” 

Molly could have sworn his heart stopped. They wanted him in the studio, a live performance  _ in the studio _ . 

“So, are you interested?”

“Yes!” the answer came before Scanlan had even finished the last word, and Molly blushed but the gnome laughed again

“Awesome! Okay, we’ll email you details but it’ll probably be on  Yulisen ” Molly would have sworn her  _ heard _ the man wink as he said “we wouldn’t want to  disappoint your usual  Folsen crowd, after all” 

“Thank- Thank you! Thank you  Mr Shorthalt .

“Scanlan, please, my father was Mr Shorthalt”

“Oh, of course!”

They spent a few more minutes on the phone, Molly giving his email address and a back-up one (Caleb’s) just in case. When he hung up, he dropped to the ground, sitting there and shaking with nervous excitement. He was going to be on the  _ radio _ ! Not just some college station either, a real  _ national _ station! He felt like he could fly, or like he needed to puke... or both?? 

He threw the door open, shaking still but absolutely beaming as Caleb looked at him in confusion. Molly held up his phone and pointed to it. Caleb stared for a moment more before his eyes went huge and he mouthed 

“ _ the radio?” _

Molly nodded vigorously, bouncing in a very Jester-like way on the balls of his feet. Caleb’s whole face lit up, he jumped off the couch and ran over, grabbing Molly's waist and spinning him once before kissing him soundly. One arm around his waist and a hand in his hair as Molly gasped into the kiss, surprised by the suddenness of it. He slid his arms up over Caleb's shoulders and kissed him back feeling like his chest would burst with the sheer level of  _ joy _ in it. 

They finally broke apart and it was like someone suddenly turned the ambient sounds back on. He could hear his phone buzzing, and the tinny sound of someone calling “Mr Widogast?” from the laptop on the coffee table. Caleb’s cheeks were flushed pink, blue eyes warm and paired with one of his too-sweet smiles. Molly very much wanted to just steal him away for the rest of the day, especially when the cheeky man twirled one of his curls absently. The voice coming from the laptop sounded worried though. 

“I’m so proud of you  _ Liebling _ , truly” Caleb said softly and Molly sighed, pulling him close and pressing his mouth and nose to the crook of his wizard’s neck. 

“Your laptop is yelling at you” he murmured reluctantly against the soft skin “you should tell them you aren’t dead” 

Caleb hummed and sighed, running a hand through Molly's hair in the way he loved.

“I should, I’m technically still in class”

Molly nipped lightly at the sensitive skin he had been nuzzling, causing Caleb to jump slightly. He snickered and pulled away, kissing Caleb’s cheek lightly. 

“Go back to class, we can celebrate later” 

Caleb smirked at him, stole one last kiss and walked back over to the living room. Molly heard him apologizing profusely as he walked back outside to call Yasha. And... literally everyone else he knew. 

\----

Molly got to work that evening in a  _ fantastic  _ mood. He had spent the afternoon celebrating with Caleb (once his class had ended), and making sure that all of his friends would be there on  Yulisen . He spent the night telling every customer about the gig, the regulars were all excited for him and a few of the newer faces even seemed into it. 

He spent all of  Grissen planning his setlist, and singing at the top of his lungs (until Caleb’s class started of course). He was certain the last time he had been this happy had been... probably the night Caleb kissed him. Or the next day, when he kissed him  _ again _ but sober.

On second thought, that had been better... but only by a little bit. 

Caleb walked into the kitchen around noon, while Molly was making “leftover sandwiches” for lunch and wrapped his arms around his waist. Molly smiled as Caleb rested his chin on his shoulder, loving the pure  domesticity of the moment. 

“ _ Kätzchen _ _?” _

Molly hummed in response, starting another  sandwich .

“I have a... question” 

“Yes one of these is for you” Molly snickered, and Caleb nipped his earlobe playfully 

“That was  _ not  _ my question you cheeky thing, but thank you” he kissed Molly's cheek, leaving it warm “I was going to ask if you would be comfortable with  Essek coming by while you are at work.” 

Molly paused, thinking about it. He didn’t necessarily  _ like _ the idea... but he trusted Caleb, and  Essek had been a good friend.

The fact that Caleb was even asking was... odd, uncomfortable? 

“You don’t have to ask me if you want to have people over love”  finishing the last sandwich and setting it aside with the others. 

He tapped Calebs cheek, and the wizard complied with his silent request to lift his head up. Molly spun around in Calebs arms and put his hands on sweater-soft shoulders. He tried to read the wizards expression, was it concern? 

“Why do you think you need to ask permission?” he asked simply, Caleb blushed slightly

“Well ah... it’s been pointed out to me that you... might be uncomfortable with the idea” Caleb pressed his forehead to Mollys “I hate the idea of doing something that makes you unhappy  _ Schatz _ , even if I don’t understand why it would do so” his voice was softer now “I just want you happy” 

The rush of sadness, affection and  _ joy _ that Molly felt knocked the words right out of his head. Molly stared at Caleb’s closed eyes, the red-tipped lashes were always much longer up close, laying lightly over freckled cheeks. He thought of the handsome  drow , and realized that maybe... maybe Caleb really didn’t see why he would be jealous of the other man? 

“Caleb, love, do you... did whoever mentioned this to you tell you  _ why _ I might not like it?” 

A sigh, and a nod, combined with an expression of confusion as Calebs brow furrowed. 

“Was it Jester?” Calebs blush was brighter, so that was a yes “did she tell you I’m  _ jealous _ of Thelyss?” 

Calebs eyes opened and he Molly in the eye, confusion set deep in every part of his expression. 

“Y-yes, she did” he paused “but that’s... I don’t understand why she would think that” 

Molly could have laughed, of course this genius man would be an absolute idiot for this sort of thing. His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Caleb stepped back, keeping hold of one hand and using the other to gesticulate while he spoke.

“Look at you  Mollymauk ! You’re a rainbow, you’re... you’re kind and funny and charming” he was running his hand through his hair now, and Molly felt the smile fall off his face “you can win over anyone, talk to anyone... you’re talented and sweet and... and just so  _ good”  _

He dropped Molly’s hand, gesturing to himself as his shoulders slumped, eyes downcast

“I am... well, I am just this” Calebs hand was in his own hair again as he stared at some distant corner of the floor “I am... baggage, and anxiety. I’m not good with words, or people and I still dress like I’m homeless more often than not” he paused again, and Molly’s chest felt tight “I am... I am nothing worth being jealous over Mollymauk” 

Molly wanted to cry, he could feel the tears starting to sting at the back of his eyes. This man, this wonderful man... 

“How” his voice was rough as he tried to keep it steady “how long have you been thinking this?” 

A sad chuckle “I have always thought this way  _ Schatz, _ since the moment we met” 

Now Molly does cry, or at least, the tears fall as he looks at Caleb standing there one arm down at his side and the other bent across himself, gripping his elbow. How could he think like that? Caleb, smart, sweet, handsome, protective Caleb? Molly couldn’t understand it... and didn’t know how to put it into words. 

“Caleb... love, no” Molly walked forward, gripping Calebs forearms and pulling him in close. He cupped one of Caleb’s cheeks, turning him gently to face forward again, searching those big blue eyes. He really didn’t have the words. 

So, he kissed him. Slow and sweet and searching, trying to put everything he felt into each brush of lips. Molly pushed his free hand into Calebs hair, dislodging the loose hair tie and letting it fall loose around his shoulders. Calebs hands found his hips, gripping with a quiet desperation that Molly had never noticed before. Almost like he was trying to hold him there... well, he wasn’t the only one. Molly let the hand he had on Calebs cheek slide down and grip tight at his shirt. 

“I’m all yours love” Molly mumbled between pressing kisses “all yours” 

Caleb’s responding grip sent a flair of possessive heat straight down Molly’s spine into his core. A needy sound slipped out into their kiss and Calebs hands dragged down from his hips to the back of his thighs. The next thing he knew, his legs were wrapped tight around Caleb’s waist and he was being carried up the stairs. 

By the time they remembered the sandwiches, someone else had stolen and eaten them. 

\----

They lay in bed, curled up and trying to ignore the way that time kept marching on outside of their little bubble. Molly knew he would have to get up and shower for work soon, and they both needed to eat. But he needed to make sure that the air was clear before he was willing to do any of that. As  _ wonderful _ as the more ‘physical’ representation of their talk had been, he knew he needed to actually talk. With words. 

He lay there, staring at the hickeys he had dotted Caleb’s chest with and counting freckles around them, trying to wrap his mind around what Caleb had said. He  _ truly _ believed that... what? That Molly was somehow too good for him? Just because he was good at talking to people, good at flirting and joking. Of course, he had hidden all his baggage from the wizard, so he couldn’t blame Caleb for not seeing that part of him. 

“Caleb? Love?” 

Caleb hummed sleepily, and Molly couldn’t help but smile at the warm feeling that sound brought to his chest. 

“About earlier...” he hand in his hair stilled a moment, before  continuing to card through his hair “I... I’m so sorry, I’m sorry that I never realized how you were feeling” 

“Mollymauk...”

“No, I mean it” he continued, needing to get this out before he lost his nerve “I liked you from the moment we met Caleb. You were there in your cute sweater with your messy hair and your dad jeans and I thought that I  _ had _ to know you” he pressed a kiss over one of the hickeys, smiling briefly at the little shiver it  elicited “you’re wonderful Mister Caleb, you’re kind and caring, you’re loyal and playful and I can’t imagine spending my days.... and nights” another shiver, another smirk “with anyone else”

He pulled away just enough to see Caleb’s face, his cheeks were flushed and his hair was an absolute mess. He was the most beautiful man Molly had ever seen. 

“I mean it, Caleb, I wish I could show you the man I see when I look at you” he reached up and ran a thumb over a freckled cheekbone “and if you’ll let me, I’d like to try to do just that” 

Caleb shifted forward, stealing a kiss before he answered “Only if you’ll let me do the same thing” 

Molly pressed against him, rolling his hips and nipping at Caleb’s bottom lip.

“Deal” 

\----

Molly made it to work, just barely, but he did. He was flustered and his hair was still damp from his rushed shower, but he made it. 

The had finished their talk, Caleb assuring Molly that he saw  Essek as a good friend and nothing else. They shared a love of the arcane and a thirst for knowledge, but he had never felt anything but respect for the  drow . Molly in turn had reiterated that Caleb didn’t have to ask permission to have people over, that he trusted the wizard beyond a doubt. So,  Essek was going to be going over, they would do homework. Jester was home too, and would probably drive them both a little mad... if he didn’t need the money, he might even have called in just to watch. 

Gods he loved that girl, she was ridiculous. 

“Getting excited for the show kid?” Gus asked as Molly zoned out for the dozenth time that night

He nodded “yeah, nervous but yeah” 

Gus paused in drying off some of the glasses Molly had just finished cleaning, looking out over the bar. It was a fairly quiet night, Yasha had spent more of it repairing some damaged tables than actually tending the bar. No bouncer tonight, it wasn’t busy enough.

“Well, I think you’ll be fine personally” Molly looked over at him curiously “you  _ like _ doing all that stuff” Gus waved a hand toward the empty stage.

“All that stuff?” Molly snickered, Gus smacked his shoulder with the towel and Molly stuck his tongue out.

“You know what I mean brat, it’ll be just like your shows here... except you’ll be able to blind the crowd when the sun hits those trinkets of yours” he reached over and flicked the silver moon hanging from Mollys ear. 

“Just because  _ I  _ have style...” 

They spent the rest of the night the same way, teasing and joking around. Molly made sure to take pictures of Yasha doing repairs, and then made sure to send them to Beau. Her responses were always good for a laugh, disaster lesbian that she was. 

The end of his shift finally came around, and Molly bid his original little family goodbye. Yasha was going to pick Beau up at the Soul, because apparently the monks never slept. The woman had been there every free moment since they got back. He got home, the anti-magical disguise ward fizzing around him as it dispersed Caleb’s spell, and kicked off his boots. The light was on in the kitchen, so Molly wandered over. The kitchen itself was empty, but turning to look into the  living room he was greeted by the  _ strangest _ sight he had ever seen. 

There on the couch sat Caleb, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and a game controller in his hand. He was in his pajamas, plaid fleece pants and a soft grey t-shirt, with his hair loose around his shoulders. It was the person next to him however that was the real surprise. 

Essek Thelyss , usually so perfectly coiffed and buttoned, in a pair of dark grey sweatpants and a loose pink  t-shirt that said “Barbie Bitch” across the front. His hair was a mess, and there was something...green behind his ear. He was sitting just like Caleb, with a matching look of complete concentration on his face as they played... whatever the hell they were playing. 

Molly blinked, finally ripping his eyes from the two men to look at the armchair, which was currently occupied by a  _ very _ invested Jester. She was in a pair of pink pajama pants that were covered in pictures of donuts, and a purple tank top, both articles of clothing were  _ covered _ in paint stains. Including a very large splash of green that perfectly matched the smear on  Essek . 

“Ummmm... what the hell?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooohoooo so yeah. Sorry for the emotional rollercoaster this chapter, it spans over a week and the Feelings really got a hold of me this time around. These babes have been so stressed out for so long, it does things to the brain!   
> Also yikes that was a lot of almost-smut huh? They suck at talking about things, this is their way of compensating
> 
> Also another Vox Machina throwback! I didn't want to create a character for the station and well... Scanlan exists
> 
> Do we love some Essek cameos? He'll be back next chapter.


	28. NOT A REAL CHAPTER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just one giant author's note!

Hello wonderful people! I'm sure many of you have noticed that this fic hasn't updated in a while. I'm really sorry about that, but real life and the Joys Of Mental Health have once again taken over my brain. 

I want to make it very clear that this fic is not over, and I will absolutely be updating again. 

However, we're going to be on a little break while I sort it out and get caught up a bit. I'm sorry to do the hiatus thing, but I hate to leave you all hanging! 

The boys will be back soon! 

xoxo

Pix


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